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I didn't go there very often, but I

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remember coming there on occasion.

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Well, let's open our Bibles this morning and

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we'll continue to allow the Lord to speak

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to our hearts.

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This is a sermon that we could spend

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a lot of time on.

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Not the sermon this morning, but the sermon

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that Stephen is giving.

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Stephen is communicating here to the council.

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Stephen has been ordained as a deacon.

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Evidently, Stephen doesn't believe like many that, well,

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I'm a deacon, so I just spend my

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time over here with the widows.

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He did do that, but he understood, as

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the whole church did, that as a Christian

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we have a responsibility to preach the Word.

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So Stephen is out doing wonderful things, preaching

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the Word, and he is then brought in

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to a council.

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Many aged Jews and leaders, elders are there.

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And they talk to Stephen, but Stephen is

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so wise.

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And not only is he wise, but he's

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got a beautiful spirit about him.

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And that frustrates them, because they're frustrated old

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men probably and condemned in their own consciences.

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And there's this guy who has a good

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spirit, who's speaking the truth.

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And so they, like I said last week,

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if you can't kill the message, then try

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to kill the messenger.

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And so they decide that they're going to

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set up false witnesses, stir up the people

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against Stephen to try to stop his message.

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And verse 15 of chapter 6 says, And

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all they that sat in the council, looking

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steadfastly on him, saw his face as it

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had been the face of an angel.

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I don't know what kind of a face

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that is.

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Maybe like Brother Chris's over here.

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But the face of an angel, something about

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that face that made him appear just peaceful

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and serene and probably joyful.

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Even in the midst of false accusation and

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threats and people rising up against him.

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And so they were not able to resist

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the wisdom by which he spake.

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And these false witnesses were brought.

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And it says in chapter 7, verse 1,

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Then said the high priest, Are these things

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so?

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Answer on these false accusations.

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And of course Stephen is not concerned about

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his own life.

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He's not concerned about his own reputation.

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Stephen doesn't even bother with these accusations, because

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he's truly dead to self.

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And I don't need to defend myself, I'm

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dead.

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And he's truly a non-resistant individual.

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And so people accuse him.

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Dead people don't respond to accusations.

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Like Jesus, answer them not a word.

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Well, he went right into some truth.

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And he started to speak to them about

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the truth.

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And I shared with you last week, he

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starts off with Abraham.

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Now there's four men that he mentions.

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And these four men are Abraham and Joseph,

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which we'll talk about this morning.

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And then Moses and David.

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These are four patriarchs, the four pillars in

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Judaism.

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Abraham last week was the father of the

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Jewish people.

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We'll talk about Joseph, then Moses and David.

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And by the way, faith is going to

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be an issue here that Stephen is going

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to address.

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But these are men who are in Hebrews

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11.

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He started with Abel, and then Enoch, and

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Noah, and then you move to Abraham, and

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then Joseph, and then Moses, which takes up

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a lot of Hebrews 11, and then David.

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And so these are men of faith.

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And what we're going to see here is

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that these men of faith were rejected by

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the Jewish people, in large part.

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And they suffered at the hands of the

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Jewish people.

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And so last week we talked about Abraham.

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Abraham, he's a father of the Jewish people.

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He's a father of faith.

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And I'd like you to go back to

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Acts 7, because here's where we're trying to

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head.

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This is a conclusion in Acts 7, verse

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51.

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It's very important, because Stephen is bringing the

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sermon to this point.

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And everything in the sermon is to be

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brought to this point.

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This is the invitation.

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In Acts 7, verse 51, he says, You

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stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears,

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you do always resist the Holy Ghost.

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As your fathers did, so do you.

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In other words, God wants to walk with

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you.

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God wants to direct you like a horse

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with a tender neck in the bridle.

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Just very simple, easy to be led.

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God wants you to trust in Him and

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have a circumcised heart, a heart that is

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separated, cut off from the world, cut off

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from the affections of this world, and someone

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whose heart is in love with Jesus Christ.

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A circumcised heart.

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And these people didn't have it.

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They had religion.

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We'll talk about that.

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But they didn't have a circumcised heart and

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a tender neck.

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And therefore, they were not walking with God.

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They were not walking by faith.

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But here's a man full of faith and

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full of the Spirit.

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He's a man that's walking with God.

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A man that's walking by faith.

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A man with a circumcised heart.

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A man with circumcised ears.

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You know what circumcised ears are?

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I've given illustrations on that over the years.

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But circumcised ears are always tied to our

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heart.

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And what we love in our heart, we

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hear with our ears.

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And so if the heart is circumcised, the

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ears will hear the proper things.

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Two men are walking down the street in

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a busy city, and one stomps and says,

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did you hear that?

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The other guy says, what?

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Someone just dropped a coin on the sidewalk.

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You know, someone who loves money, picks that

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up right like that.

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Ooh, there's some money.

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And we hear what we love.

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And when you love Jesus, guess whose voice

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you hear?

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You hear His voice.

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Today, if you will hear His voice, harden,

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don't stiff your neck, harden not your heart.

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And so hearing His voice is tied to

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affection.

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It's tied to what we love.

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And if you don't love the Lord Jesus

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in sincerity, you'll come to church every Sunday,

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and you'll never hear His voice.

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And nothing will change in your life.

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And you'll go through your Christian experience, and

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there'll be no change, because you're not hearing

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His voice.

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And so, as you sit here this morning,

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do you love the Lord Jesus?

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Hebrews 11 talks about faith here.

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Abraham was the one we talked about last

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Sunday.

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But it says, By faith Abraham, when he

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was called, Abraham heard the voice of God.

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He was called.

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He had a tender heart and an open

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ear.

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When he was called to go out into

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a place which he should have to receive

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for an inheritance, obeyed.

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He wasn't stiff-necked.

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He was circumcised in heart.

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And so when he hears the call of

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God, he says, Yes, sir, Lord, I'm going

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to do whatever You say.

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Even though You're going to call me to

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go out into the land, I don't even

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know where I'm going.

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I'm going to obey.

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And a very tender heart and very open

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ear Abraham had.

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He was not a stiff-necked individual.

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But this mission, and I want to talk

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about this because this whole sermon is heading

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in this direction.

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This whole nation, in large part, is a

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stiff-necked people.

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And God has been trying to lead them,

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but they're not hearing His voice.

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And they're very religious people.

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And this is a message for us here

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this morning because we also can be a

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very religious people, but a stiff-necked and

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uncircumcised in heart and ears.

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And because of their condition, and we'll conclude

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a sermon with this later on, but because

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of their condition, they persecuted those who were

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walking with God.

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And throughout history, this has been the case.

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They are persecuting those who are right with

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God, who live by faith, who walk in

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the Spirit.

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It starts off with Abel.

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Abel hears the voice of God.

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He brings the right offering.

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Cain does not hear the voice of God.

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He goes his own way.

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And guess what happens?

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Cain kills Abel, the very first martyr.

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And throughout the Bible, you see this over

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and over again.

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Those who walk by faith, those who listen

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to the voice of God and walk in

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the Spirit are always being persecuted by religious

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people who have established a system and are

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not living in a God-honoring and a

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God-pleasing way.

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And I can go through the Bible.

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There's many examples of this.

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Stephen's going to experience this.

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He's going to get martyred by the same

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religious people who say they believe in God.

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Joseph is going to get thrown into a

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pit.

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Moses is also going to be rejected by

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the people of God.

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He's going to flee for 40 years before

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God finally calls him out.

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And then David will be chased down by

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Saul and his army.

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And so those who have a heart after

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God have always been under the affliction of

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the religious.

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And by the way, the best example of

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that is Jesus.

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He heard the voice of His Father and

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was very tender, and yet they hated Him.

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And they persecuted Him.

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And finally, they martyred Him.

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Now I want to draw on the board

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something.

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I know some of you like illustration, but

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there's so much here to talk about.

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But the message, we're going to get down

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to this when we talk about Joseph.

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But some of these things I've shared with

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you in the past, there's a little different

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twist to them here.

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But these are the kind of hearts that

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we're talking about here and Stephen is preaching

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to.

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These stiff-necked and uncircumcised hearts and ears.

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Now over here, this heart is the heart

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that is right with God.

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This heart is the heart that loves Jesus

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who has its first love.

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And this is Stephen.

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He is full of faith in the Holy

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Spirit.

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He's in the right place.

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Over here is a heart that's an unconverted

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heart or a heart that's carnal, a heart

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that loves the world.

274
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And we talk about the heathen out there

275
00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,300
and what they do.

276
00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:02,280
They don't love the Lord.

277
00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:03,500
Most of them curse the Lord.

278
00:11:03,500 --> 00:11:05,280
And so you have those who love the

279
00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:06,780
Lord and those who don't love the Lord.

280
00:11:07,940 --> 00:11:09,600
And Stephen is not going to get martyred

281
00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:11,240
by these people.

282
00:11:11,940 --> 00:11:13,880
He's going to get martyred by this heart

283
00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:15,480
that is in the middle.

284
00:11:16,100 --> 00:11:19,960
This heart that has left the Lord, that

285
00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,460
is moving towards the world, moving in this

286
00:11:23,460 --> 00:11:27,180
direction, but it's a heart that is a

287
00:11:27,180 --> 00:11:28,100
darkened heart.

288
00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:29,600
It's a carnal heart.

289
00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:34,860
But there's one difference between this heart and

290
00:11:34,860 --> 00:11:36,520
the heart that is in the world.

291
00:11:36,780 --> 00:11:39,060
This heart here, because it doesn't want to

292
00:11:39,060 --> 00:11:39,280
go...

293
00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:40,420
You know how religious people are.

294
00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:42,460
I don't want to go clear over here

295
00:11:42,460 --> 00:11:44,420
and look like the world and be like

296
00:11:44,420 --> 00:11:45,580
the world in every aspect.

297
00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:47,760
So what I'm going to do is I'm

298
00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:52,280
going to put on an external, outward appearance

299
00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:57,880
of righteousness even though my heart is not

300
00:11:57,880 --> 00:11:58,620
in a good place.

301
00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:02,840
And so the Jewish people and those who

302
00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,060
are actually Stephen is preaching to are in

303
00:12:05,060 --> 00:12:06,520
this condition right here.

304
00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:09,620
They're not like the publican and the sinner

305
00:12:09,620 --> 00:12:10,240
down here.

306
00:12:10,420 --> 00:12:14,340
They are very religious people, devout, appearing wise.

307
00:12:14,940 --> 00:12:16,140
They look good.

308
00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,400
Jesus said outwardly they appear righteous unto men,

309
00:12:19,540 --> 00:12:22,240
but inwardly their hearts are just like the

310
00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:22,520
world.

311
00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:23,260
They're angry.

312
00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:24,600
They're bitter.

313
00:12:25,180 --> 00:12:26,080
They're unforgiving.

314
00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:27,540
Their hearts are full of lust.

315
00:12:28,100 --> 00:12:28,940
They're envious.

316
00:12:28,940 --> 00:12:30,460
We'll see that here in just a minute.

317
00:12:30,780 --> 00:12:31,780
They're jealous.

318
00:12:32,300 --> 00:12:34,040
There's strife in their hearts.

319
00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,280
They're just like the world, but they have

320
00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:36,840
a facade.

321
00:12:39,750 --> 00:12:43,690
And so Stephen is preaching to these stiff

322
00:12:43,690 --> 00:12:48,270
-necked, religious, yes, but they're not willing to

323
00:12:48,270 --> 00:12:49,330
walk by faith.

324
00:12:49,930 --> 00:12:53,330
They're not willing to be led by the

325
00:12:53,330 --> 00:12:54,130
Spirit of God.

326
00:12:54,310 --> 00:12:56,510
And so here they are.

327
00:12:56,570 --> 00:12:57,450
They have a conscience.

328
00:12:57,850 --> 00:12:58,810
You know, there's a lot of people like

329
00:12:58,810 --> 00:12:59,030
this.

330
00:12:59,030 --> 00:12:59,790
They have a conscience.

331
00:13:00,910 --> 00:13:02,490
And they know that everybody will kind of

332
00:13:02,490 --> 00:13:03,910
feel, oh, they're going to the world if

333
00:13:03,910 --> 00:13:04,670
they go this way.

334
00:13:05,090 --> 00:13:06,830
And so they kind of put a covering

335
00:13:06,830 --> 00:13:07,230
on.

336
00:13:07,830 --> 00:13:09,170
They clothe themselves.

337
00:13:09,490 --> 00:13:12,890
They put an external appearance of righteousness.

338
00:13:14,110 --> 00:13:17,510
And yet their heart is very much far

339
00:13:17,510 --> 00:13:18,070
from God.

340
00:13:23,560 --> 00:13:25,660
And so that's possible to have an appearance

341
00:13:25,660 --> 00:13:30,160
of righteousness and be far from the Lord,

342
00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:32,680
keeping that outward appearance.

343
00:13:32,680 --> 00:13:34,800
I read this verse last week, Romans 8,

344
00:13:34,860 --> 00:13:35,340
28.

345
00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:37,540
For he is not a Jew which is

346
00:13:37,540 --> 00:13:41,100
one outwardly, but he is a Jew which

347
00:13:41,100 --> 00:13:42,560
is one inwardly, right?

348
00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:45,780
And that circumcision, he says in Romans, is

349
00:13:45,780 --> 00:13:46,440
of the heart.

350
00:13:46,980 --> 00:13:48,060
Remember what Stephen said?

351
00:13:48,100 --> 00:13:51,160
You're uncircumcised in heart and ears.

352
00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:57,040
That circumcision which is in the heart, a

353
00:13:57,040 --> 00:14:00,820
heart that is separated to love God and

354
00:14:00,820 --> 00:14:02,740
to serve God, not a heart that is

355
00:14:02,740 --> 00:14:04,900
in love with the world, yet has all

356
00:14:04,900 --> 00:14:07,720
the religious trappings on the outside, but its

357
00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:11,300
heart is pursuing the things of this world.

358
00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,740
Now, I've shared this in a couple of

359
00:14:15,740 --> 00:14:16,040
churches.

360
00:14:16,180 --> 00:14:17,800
I get kicked out of churches for this

361
00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:18,900
next thing I'm going to share with you.

362
00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:19,540
I mean, literally.

363
00:14:19,820 --> 00:14:21,000
They don't invite me back.

364
00:14:21,740 --> 00:14:24,000
People don't like this, this concept.

365
00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:25,200
So I'll let you know ahead of time.

366
00:14:25,220 --> 00:14:26,080
Don't kick me out.

367
00:14:29,620 --> 00:14:31,540
But this is reality.

368
00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:34,980
And it's hard for many people to accept,

369
00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:36,740
but this is the truth.

370
00:14:36,860 --> 00:14:39,000
This is a very dangerous place to be

371
00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:39,500
right here.

372
00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:41,640
Very dangerous place to be.

373
00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:44,580
And the Bible speaks a lot to this

374
00:14:44,580 --> 00:14:45,320
place.

375
00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:48,160
Jesus said, I would that thou were either

376
00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:52,380
hot or cold than to be lukewarm.

377
00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:54,320
Now you'd think, oh, lukewarm is better than

378
00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:55,080
being cold.

379
00:14:56,900 --> 00:14:59,440
But the Lord says, no, I would rather

380
00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:01,420
you be on either extreme.

381
00:15:02,220 --> 00:15:03,600
And here's something I shared with you in

382
00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:05,220
the past, but it's an amazing concept.

383
00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:09,440
Jesus talked to these people, these Jews in

384
00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:11,420
the book of Matthew, and he told them

385
00:15:11,420 --> 00:15:15,120
that the harlots and the publicans go into

386
00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:17,080
the kingdom of God before you do.

387
00:15:18,140 --> 00:15:19,160
Now why is that?

388
00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:23,440
Because these people over here are honest with

389
00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:24,580
who they really are.

390
00:15:24,580 --> 00:15:26,840
You know, honesty is always a good thing.

391
00:15:27,900 --> 00:15:30,280
Honesty represents that light Arlen had up here.

392
00:15:31,180 --> 00:15:32,360
I am going to be honest with who

393
00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:32,500
I am.

394
00:15:32,540 --> 00:15:34,020
The harlot's out there in the street corner.

395
00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:35,700
She's got dressed like she's a harlot.

396
00:15:35,940 --> 00:15:37,960
She's advertising herself as a harlot.

397
00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:39,600
She knows she's a harlot.

398
00:15:39,900 --> 00:15:41,460
She knows she's going to go to hell.

399
00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:44,480
I can deal with a person like that,

400
00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:45,160
a girl like that.

401
00:15:47,140 --> 00:15:49,420
Better yet, you're a harlot or a publican.

402
00:15:49,500 --> 00:15:51,480
The publicans were public about their sin.

403
00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:53,440
They were from door to door collecting taxes.

404
00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:55,120
Everybody knew who they were.

405
00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,460
And oftentimes they were swindling people out of

406
00:15:58,460 --> 00:15:58,880
their money.

407
00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:01,520
And they were who they were.

408
00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:02,060
They were honest.

409
00:16:05,220 --> 00:16:07,000
So the Lord says these people go into

410
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,080
the kingdom of God first because they're at

411
00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:10,500
least able to say like I said this

412
00:16:10,500 --> 00:16:12,300
morning, Lord, I'm a wicked sinner.

413
00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:14,500
I know who I am.

414
00:16:15,660 --> 00:16:17,080
And God says I can reach you at

415
00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:17,540
that point.

416
00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:20,720
But in the middle here is a dangerous

417
00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:23,240
place, and we need to remember this.

418
00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,260
It's a dangerous place to be because this

419
00:16:25,260 --> 00:16:27,020
is a very deceptive world.

420
00:16:28,340 --> 00:16:31,840
Inside the heart, your heart is going after

421
00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,680
other loves and affections and cares, and yet

422
00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,980
you put on an appearance outwardly that you

423
00:16:37,980 --> 00:16:39,200
are religious.

424
00:16:40,220 --> 00:16:41,460
You're a Christian.

425
00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:43,660
And yet your heart.

426
00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:46,740
And so you're living in a deceptive realm.

427
00:16:47,140 --> 00:16:49,480
At least this person's living in a truthful

428
00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:49,940
realm.

429
00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:50,940
Yes?

430
00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,440
The devil's deceiving them in their sin, but

431
00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:55,120
at least they're honest with who they are.

432
00:16:56,740 --> 00:16:58,660
And so in a sense, the Lord says,

433
00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,080
I'd rather you be over here, Jews, because

434
00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:02,640
at least I can get to you over

435
00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:02,920
here.

436
00:17:06,670 --> 00:17:08,210
And so these are the type of people

437
00:17:08,210 --> 00:17:09,910
that Stephen is talking about.

438
00:17:10,730 --> 00:17:12,790
Now here's the challenge for all of us,

439
00:17:12,810 --> 00:17:14,190
and this is where I get myself in

440
00:17:14,190 --> 00:17:14,450
trouble.

441
00:17:15,089 --> 00:17:17,130
A lot of people think this is a

442
00:17:17,130 --> 00:17:18,250
better place to be.

443
00:17:18,910 --> 00:17:20,369
You know, we have children here.

444
00:17:20,750 --> 00:17:21,690
I have children.

445
00:17:22,089 --> 00:17:25,290
And oftentimes we think, well, my children, we

446
00:17:25,290 --> 00:17:27,490
don't want them to come clear over here,

447
00:17:27,569 --> 00:17:29,770
you know, and just everyone sees them as

448
00:17:29,770 --> 00:17:32,270
just a sinner, and they put on tattoos,

449
00:17:32,550 --> 00:17:34,550
and they wear their hair down and put

450
00:17:34,550 --> 00:17:37,770
on makeup and wear all this crazy dress

451
00:17:37,770 --> 00:17:39,450
and just love the world.

452
00:17:39,650 --> 00:17:41,390
I don't want them to appear down here.

453
00:17:41,470 --> 00:17:42,850
I'm a very proud parent.

454
00:17:43,250 --> 00:17:45,270
I'd rather at least they hide their heart

455
00:17:45,270 --> 00:17:46,430
with some good clothing.

456
00:17:47,230 --> 00:17:47,430
Amen?

457
00:17:48,670 --> 00:17:49,150
Yeah.

458
00:17:49,490 --> 00:17:50,790
Makes us feel better, doesn't it?

459
00:17:50,790 --> 00:17:53,330
At least my child looks good.

460
00:17:54,370 --> 00:17:58,590
At least they're on the outside doing pretty

461
00:17:58,590 --> 00:18:00,350
good because I'm forcing them to do it.

462
00:18:01,710 --> 00:18:06,490
And so you have this heart that is

463
00:18:06,490 --> 00:18:13,050
masquerading as something that they're not really who

464
00:18:13,050 --> 00:18:15,290
they represent, that they are.

465
00:18:15,830 --> 00:18:17,030
And I think we like that.

466
00:18:17,070 --> 00:18:18,070
We feel more comfortable.

467
00:18:18,070 --> 00:18:20,030
Fill up our church with these kind of

468
00:18:20,030 --> 00:18:20,310
people.

469
00:18:23,190 --> 00:18:23,870
But you know what?

470
00:18:23,870 --> 00:18:25,550
These kind of people, God just, yeah.

471
00:18:27,170 --> 00:18:28,750
You see it in Matthew.

472
00:18:29,790 --> 00:18:32,270
How can you escape the damnation of hell,

473
00:18:32,370 --> 00:18:33,110
you hypocrite?

474
00:18:34,230 --> 00:18:34,670
You know what?

475
00:18:34,870 --> 00:18:36,570
If anything, I want to avoid that thing

476
00:18:36,570 --> 00:18:37,030
right there.

477
00:18:38,430 --> 00:18:39,350
Lord help me, right?

478
00:18:43,750 --> 00:18:44,970
Now, moms, you like it.

479
00:18:45,250 --> 00:18:46,890
You much prefer this.

480
00:18:47,090 --> 00:18:48,530
At least my children look good.

481
00:18:49,630 --> 00:18:50,490
At least they look good.

482
00:18:50,990 --> 00:18:52,710
At least the people in the church think

483
00:18:52,710 --> 00:18:55,010
they're doing halfway as decent.

484
00:18:56,920 --> 00:18:59,020
But in reality, it's like the Lord says,

485
00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:00,500
no, just let them come down here.

486
00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:02,940
Let the prodigal go.

487
00:19:03,620 --> 00:19:06,620
Let him experience what's really his sin, his

488
00:19:06,620 --> 00:19:06,900
life.

489
00:19:07,020 --> 00:19:08,180
And maybe I can get him.

490
00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:10,220
I can bring him to repentance.

491
00:19:12,020 --> 00:19:14,760
And we tend to think lukewarm is certainly

492
00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:15,620
better than cold.

493
00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:17,280
I'd rather take a lukewarm shower than a

494
00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:17,740
cold one.

495
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:19,620
Nobody wants to look.

496
00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:21,240
I like to stand in the hot shower.

497
00:19:23,940 --> 00:19:25,200
And so what we do is we fill

498
00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,700
up the churches with people whose hearts are

499
00:19:27,700 --> 00:19:31,120
right here, but they look so good, right?

500
00:19:32,100 --> 00:19:34,120
And the church ends up being, like Paul

501
00:19:34,120 --> 00:19:35,200
said, a form.

502
00:19:35,660 --> 00:19:36,360
There's no power.

503
00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:38,440
There's no power in this life here, is

504
00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:38,580
there?

505
00:19:39,020 --> 00:19:40,020
No power at all.

506
00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:41,400
There's a form.

507
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:42,500
Looks good.

508
00:19:42,580 --> 00:19:43,420
Look at how they're dressed.

509
00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:45,980
Look at how they have an appearance.

510
00:19:47,900 --> 00:19:49,520
And truthfully, a lot of us are in

511
00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:51,060
that situation, let's be honest.

512
00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:54,860
And we miss out on many things.

513
00:19:55,700 --> 00:19:57,880
It's a very deceptive place to live.

514
00:19:59,260 --> 00:20:01,060
And so what happens, and there's many things

515
00:20:01,060 --> 00:20:02,240
we could learn here, I'd like to just

516
00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:03,580
spend a little time, but what happens in

517
00:20:03,580 --> 00:20:05,940
this situation here, much like with the Jewish

518
00:20:05,940 --> 00:20:08,100
people that Stephen is talking to, is when

519
00:20:08,100 --> 00:20:10,540
you don't have anything on the inside, what

520
00:20:10,540 --> 00:20:11,860
do you emphasize then?

521
00:20:12,660 --> 00:20:16,000
You emphasize the outside because that's all you

522
00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,820
have, and you know that you're dark on

523
00:20:18,820 --> 00:20:21,060
the inside and you have many problems internally,

524
00:20:21,420 --> 00:20:24,000
and so your religion becomes an external.

525
00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:25,860
Everything is the most important thing is the

526
00:20:25,860 --> 00:20:28,360
externals because that's all you have.

527
00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,380
You don't talk about the internals and attitudes.

528
00:20:34,820 --> 00:20:36,780
And that's the way the Jews were, and

529
00:20:36,780 --> 00:20:39,100
Stephen is dealing with people like this, that

530
00:20:39,100 --> 00:20:42,280
all they deal with is externals.

531
00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,940
Jesus said, outwardly they appear righteous unto men,

532
00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:51,880
but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

533
00:20:52,180 --> 00:20:53,320
They're ravening wolves.

534
00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:55,400
I mean, they're destructive.

535
00:20:55,660 --> 00:20:59,100
They have anger, and they're bitter, and they

536
00:20:59,100 --> 00:20:59,780
devour.

537
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:03,420
And you know what they're going to do

538
00:21:03,420 --> 00:21:03,600
here?

539
00:21:03,620 --> 00:21:04,800
They're going to devour Stephen.

540
00:21:06,100 --> 00:21:06,980
In a minute.

541
00:21:07,420 --> 00:21:10,280
They just got done devouring Jesus in their

542
00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:12,120
anger and hatred, and we're going to see

543
00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:15,400
their envy, and now they're going to devour

544
00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:17,860
Stephen in all their religious garb.

545
00:21:24,220 --> 00:21:26,360
And so right here is when we elevate

546
00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:27,060
tradition.

547
00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,520
We elevate culture.

548
00:21:29,780 --> 00:21:32,860
We elevate commandments and doctrines of men.

549
00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:34,880
We raise these things up.

550
00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:36,280
By the way, every one of those things,

551
00:21:36,380 --> 00:21:39,940
traditions, culture, they all deal with the externals.

552
00:21:40,900 --> 00:21:43,940
And so these things become the most important.

553
00:21:46,260 --> 00:21:47,520
And of course, you go back to Judaism,

554
00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:48,340
it was culture.

555
00:21:48,340 --> 00:21:49,440
It was tradition.

556
00:21:49,700 --> 00:21:52,860
It was those things that they elevated.

557
00:21:55,630 --> 00:21:56,970
And there are many things that we could

558
00:21:56,970 --> 00:21:59,470
talk about here.

559
00:21:59,790 --> 00:22:01,790
Something else that happens in this heart is

560
00:22:01,790 --> 00:22:04,450
it becomes a men-pleasing heart.

561
00:22:05,070 --> 00:22:05,930
Men-pleases.

562
00:22:08,450 --> 00:22:10,750
Man looks on the outward appearance, but God

563
00:22:10,750 --> 00:22:11,630
looks on the heart.

564
00:22:12,350 --> 00:22:13,830
And so if you're in this condition, your

565
00:22:13,830 --> 00:22:16,230
heart is far from God, but yet you

566
00:22:16,230 --> 00:22:19,070
have an external appearance, you're going to want

567
00:22:19,070 --> 00:22:19,930
to be a men-pleaser.

568
00:22:19,930 --> 00:22:22,230
You know you can't please God because your

569
00:22:22,230 --> 00:22:23,030
heart's a mess.

570
00:22:24,210 --> 00:22:27,610
And so you're seeking the pleasure to please

571
00:22:27,610 --> 00:22:28,050
men.

572
00:22:30,180 --> 00:22:30,880
It's interesting.

573
00:22:31,220 --> 00:22:32,540
I think I might have read this verse

574
00:22:32,540 --> 00:22:35,680
last week, and I'm talking about these people

575
00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:37,720
that, because we're going to get into Joseph

576
00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:39,960
here, and it's going to tie together, but

577
00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:42,560
these people that Stephen are preaching to, what

578
00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:43,600
kind of people they are.

579
00:22:43,740 --> 00:22:46,580
Stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears.

580
00:22:47,340 --> 00:22:49,460
In Romans 2, speaking about being a men

581
00:22:49,460 --> 00:22:52,340
-pleaser, Paul says this, For he is not

582
00:22:52,340 --> 00:22:54,800
a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is

583
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,040
that circumcision which is outward in the flesh.

584
00:22:57,120 --> 00:22:58,560
It's not about the outward things.

585
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:00,420
But he is a Jew which is one

586
00:23:00,420 --> 00:23:03,100
inwardly, and the circumcision is that of the

587
00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:04,360
heart in the spirit.

588
00:23:05,360 --> 00:23:07,740
Your attitude, your spirit, and not in a

589
00:23:07,740 --> 00:23:11,780
letter whose praise is not of men, but

590
00:23:11,780 --> 00:23:12,300
of God.

591
00:23:13,180 --> 00:23:15,660
You know this person over here, Stephen, and

592
00:23:15,660 --> 00:23:17,880
he's seeking to please God, because God looks

593
00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:18,460
on the heart.

594
00:23:20,060 --> 00:23:22,300
This person knows that God looks on the

595
00:23:22,300 --> 00:23:23,680
heart, but he doesn't have a good heart.

596
00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:26,960
And so he turns his attention toward pleasing

597
00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,440
men with externals.

598
00:23:37,500 --> 00:23:42,600
Well, many things we could talk about.

599
00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:45,880
I'll just mention one more here before we

600
00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:47,860
get into Joseph.

601
00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:52,660
What happens if you're in this condition right

602
00:23:52,660 --> 00:23:52,940
here?

603
00:23:52,940 --> 00:23:59,940
The Bible says the Spirit of God is

604
00:23:59,940 --> 00:24:04,100
what moves us to righteousness and holiness.

605
00:24:04,460 --> 00:24:07,480
It is God which worketh in you both

606
00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:08,840
to will and to do of His good

607
00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:09,220
pleasure.

608
00:24:09,260 --> 00:24:10,940
Over here with this heart that's right with

609
00:24:10,940 --> 00:24:15,380
God, God's Spirit works within us to will

610
00:24:15,380 --> 00:24:16,940
and to do of His good pleasure.

611
00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:21,500
Romans 8, one of my favorite verses says,

612
00:24:21,860 --> 00:24:24,240
But if the Spirit of Him that raised

613
00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:26,220
up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,

614
00:24:26,220 --> 00:24:28,460
He that raised up Christ from the dead

615
00:24:28,460 --> 00:24:31,500
shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His

616
00:24:31,500 --> 00:24:32,800
Spirit that dwelleth in you.

617
00:24:32,860 --> 00:24:34,900
So the heart that is right with God

618
00:24:34,900 --> 00:24:38,700
has a power within Him to do the

619
00:24:38,700 --> 00:24:39,300
will of God.

620
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:39,580
Amen?

621
00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:43,000
That was God's design.

622
00:24:44,660 --> 00:24:46,320
What happens when you don't have that power

623
00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:46,800
within you?

624
00:24:49,820 --> 00:24:53,660
You need a lot of external force to

625
00:24:53,660 --> 00:24:54,980
keep you in line.

626
00:24:56,380 --> 00:24:59,180
And you'll find that many churches put a

627
00:24:59,180 --> 00:25:03,220
lot of external force, a lot of external

628
00:25:03,220 --> 00:25:03,760
pressure.

629
00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:05,660
The Jews fear.

630
00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:08,500
We saw that in the book of John.

631
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,020
You do this, you're out of the community.

632
00:25:11,140 --> 00:25:12,660
You do this, we'll excommunicate you.

633
00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:15,780
You do this, you follow that Jesus.

634
00:25:16,020 --> 00:25:18,340
You say that He was born blind.

635
00:25:18,700 --> 00:25:20,360
Parents will put you out.

636
00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:21,740
And they were in fear.

637
00:25:22,740 --> 00:25:27,440
And so oftentimes in these situations, fear keeps

638
00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:28,400
people in line.

639
00:25:28,980 --> 00:25:30,540
At least externally.

640
00:25:32,930 --> 00:25:36,510
So you have these type of situations that

641
00:25:36,510 --> 00:25:38,650
Stephen is addressing.

642
00:25:40,510 --> 00:25:43,570
And many people getting together like that, they

643
00:25:43,570 --> 00:25:45,790
form a religious system.

644
00:25:46,350 --> 00:25:47,450
It's called the Jews.

645
00:25:48,070 --> 00:25:50,710
The Jews were a religious system in Jesus'

646
00:25:50,950 --> 00:25:51,190
day.

647
00:25:51,190 --> 00:25:54,370
They were a self-willed people.

648
00:25:55,070 --> 00:26:00,250
Yet, they conformed to outward things, tradition, standards.

649
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,030
But they had no heart.

650
00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,160
And let's just make this practical.

651
00:26:08,380 --> 00:26:11,360
Oftentimes, we can be pursuing things in this

652
00:26:11,360 --> 00:26:12,320
world in our hearts.

653
00:26:13,020 --> 00:26:19,140
We've been pursuing business, money, pleasure, sports, all

654
00:26:19,140 --> 00:26:19,960
kinds of things.

655
00:26:20,700 --> 00:26:22,840
And yet, try to put on an appearance

656
00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,480
by dressing a certain way or coming here

657
00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:27,040
to church.

658
00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:29,600
You know, here we are.

659
00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:35,100
But it's lacking in power.

660
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:38,940
Now I say that all because we're going

661
00:26:38,940 --> 00:26:41,860
to move now into Joseph and Moses and

662
00:26:41,860 --> 00:26:42,200
David.

663
00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,400
And these are also men who've been cast

664
00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:47,120
out and rejected and persecuted.

665
00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:54,100
Just like Jesus and just like Stephen were

666
00:26:54,100 --> 00:26:56,400
cast out by this group of people here.

667
00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:58,600
You know, the Romans were over here.

668
00:26:59,580 --> 00:27:01,400
It was these people who were wanting to

669
00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:05,360
cast out Stephen and the Lord Jesus.

670
00:27:05,500 --> 00:27:06,800
So let's take a look here at Acts

671
00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:07,440
7.

672
00:27:08,360 --> 00:27:10,080
And I want to bring out some things

673
00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:12,500
regarding Joseph here.

674
00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:17,160
Joseph is the second individual that's mentioned by

675
00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:19,060
Stephen in his sermon.

676
00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:22,300
I'm going to start reading here in Acts

677
00:27:22,300 --> 00:27:24,100
7.

678
00:27:26,910 --> 00:27:29,330
Let's look at verse 9.

679
00:27:32,010 --> 00:27:35,430
And the patriarchs.

680
00:27:35,570 --> 00:27:39,390
That's the 12 sons of Jacob.

681
00:27:39,530 --> 00:27:45,150
The patriarchs moved with envy, sold Joseph into

682
00:27:45,150 --> 00:27:48,570
Egypt, but God was with him and delivered

683
00:27:48,570 --> 00:27:51,850
him out of all his afflictions and gave

684
00:27:51,850 --> 00:27:54,370
him favor and wisdom in the sight of

685
00:27:54,370 --> 00:27:56,930
Pharaoh king of Egypt and he made him

686
00:27:56,930 --> 00:28:01,610
governor over Egypt and all his house.

687
00:28:01,710 --> 00:28:03,810
Now there's a beautiful picture there of Christ.

688
00:28:04,350 --> 00:28:05,850
You can see it all the way down

689
00:28:05,850 --> 00:28:06,270
through there.

690
00:28:06,370 --> 00:28:09,130
Joseph is one of the most beautiful pictures

691
00:28:09,130 --> 00:28:11,870
in the Old Testament of the Lord Jesus

692
00:28:11,870 --> 00:28:12,370
Christ.

693
00:28:12,510 --> 00:28:17,970
It says these patriarchs, these fathers of the

694
00:28:17,970 --> 00:28:19,810
faith, moved with envy.

695
00:28:20,030 --> 00:28:21,330
I'm not going to go back and read

696
00:28:21,330 --> 00:28:21,810
that story.

697
00:28:21,910 --> 00:28:22,890
Most of you know the story.

698
00:28:23,870 --> 00:28:28,470
Joseph's brothers, the 11 of them, had envy

699
00:28:28,470 --> 00:28:29,270
in their hearts.

700
00:28:30,130 --> 00:28:34,330
They envied Joseph's position with his father.

701
00:28:34,490 --> 00:28:36,990
By the way, that's why Jesus was envied.

702
00:28:37,670 --> 00:28:40,930
Jesus was one whose father loved him.

703
00:28:41,430 --> 00:28:43,310
And he obeyed his father.

704
00:28:43,310 --> 00:28:47,090
And the Jews despised him because he was

705
00:28:47,090 --> 00:28:47,930
right with his father.

706
00:28:48,610 --> 00:28:49,590
And they were not.

707
00:28:50,050 --> 00:28:53,890
So here you have these patriarchs, these 11

708
00:28:53,890 --> 00:28:58,590
sons of Jacob, and they're moving with envy.

709
00:28:59,370 --> 00:29:00,550
Why were they envious?

710
00:29:01,230 --> 00:29:04,010
Well, Joseph was their father's favor.

711
00:29:04,110 --> 00:29:05,270
He pleased his father.

712
00:29:05,970 --> 00:29:07,290
You know the story of the coat of

713
00:29:07,290 --> 00:29:07,910
many colors.

714
00:29:09,130 --> 00:29:11,910
And when they looked on Jesus, they saw

715
00:29:11,910 --> 00:29:13,970
His face as an angel, just like Stephen.

716
00:29:14,590 --> 00:29:16,290
He's pleasing His father.

717
00:29:17,030 --> 00:29:18,450
His father loves Him.

718
00:29:18,990 --> 00:29:20,410
Jesus is doing these miracles.

719
00:29:20,830 --> 00:29:22,510
He must be connected to His father.

720
00:29:22,830 --> 00:29:23,950
And we're not.

721
00:29:24,810 --> 00:29:27,250
And that caused them to be irate in

722
00:29:27,250 --> 00:29:27,810
their spirit.

723
00:29:27,910 --> 00:29:29,090
Have you ever had that experience?

724
00:29:29,370 --> 00:29:31,350
Someone is doing great things for God and

725
00:29:31,350 --> 00:29:34,690
they're joyful and you feel like, urgh, I'm

726
00:29:34,690 --> 00:29:35,290
backslidden.

727
00:29:35,810 --> 00:29:36,710
You know how that feels?

728
00:29:36,970 --> 00:29:38,110
I've been in that position.

729
00:29:39,050 --> 00:29:41,130
I wish I could be in their place.

730
00:29:41,470 --> 00:29:43,050
They're right with God and they're doing good

731
00:29:43,050 --> 00:29:44,730
things and here I am and I know

732
00:29:44,730 --> 00:29:45,650
I'm a backslider.

733
00:29:46,290 --> 00:29:47,250
Well, that's how they felt.

734
00:29:49,620 --> 00:29:53,140
And so, they moved with envy.

735
00:29:54,180 --> 00:29:56,800
Now envy is something that is internal.

736
00:29:57,920 --> 00:29:59,680
And I've been in these groups for 30

737
00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:01,780
years, 31 years, and I've never had a

738
00:30:01,780 --> 00:30:04,300
brother's meeting nor never had anyone concerned about

739
00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:04,700
envy.

740
00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,900
All kinds of concerns about this stuff here.

741
00:30:09,700 --> 00:30:12,380
All kinds of fighting and fussing about the

742
00:30:12,380 --> 00:30:13,140
externals.

743
00:30:13,780 --> 00:30:16,560
But you know, I have never had anyone

744
00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:18,700
say, brother, we need to get concerned about

745
00:30:18,700 --> 00:30:19,880
envy in the church.

746
00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:22,840
I wonder why that is.

747
00:30:23,460 --> 00:30:24,960
There's a lot of envy in the church.

748
00:30:25,940 --> 00:30:27,880
There's a lot of issues internally that we

749
00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:32,440
let pass because we're in this condition where

750
00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:37,340
we're so concerned about how people look externally.

751
00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,300
And yet, there was envy.

752
00:30:42,660 --> 00:30:44,260
Envy is internal.

753
00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:47,080
And there's not many people that are concerned

754
00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:48,420
about envy.

755
00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:49,500
I've been to many meetings.

756
00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:50,540
I was in one about a year and

757
00:30:50,540 --> 00:30:50,840
a half ago.

758
00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:52,600
They invited me to come to another state

759
00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:54,280
to sit down and help them in a

760
00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:54,600
church.

761
00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:56,420
They said we have some issues we want

762
00:30:56,420 --> 00:30:56,880
to address.

763
00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:59,200
I'd almost bet my life on it.

764
00:30:59,500 --> 00:31:00,760
I know what these issues are.

765
00:31:01,420 --> 00:31:02,140
They're right here.

766
00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:05,680
It's always the same thing.

767
00:31:06,740 --> 00:31:08,240
I'd love to go and sit down in

768
00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:10,680
Brother's meeting and people get concerned about internal

769
00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:11,060
things.

770
00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:13,620
Brother, we have an issue in the church.

771
00:31:13,900 --> 00:31:15,800
We have a lot of envy and jealousy.

772
00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:16,940
We need some help.

773
00:31:18,900 --> 00:31:20,600
It seems like internal things we don't pay

774
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:21,500
much attention to.

775
00:31:25,810 --> 00:31:26,730
But envy...

776
00:31:26,730 --> 00:31:28,790
Envy is a deadly sin.

777
00:31:29,250 --> 00:31:30,790
Envy is a dangerous thing.

778
00:31:30,890 --> 00:31:32,610
There's some people here probably today who are

779
00:31:32,610 --> 00:31:33,270
envious.

780
00:31:35,570 --> 00:31:36,810
Envy is one of the works of the

781
00:31:36,810 --> 00:31:37,230
flesh.

782
00:31:38,830 --> 00:31:40,730
Envy breeds competition.

783
00:31:40,970 --> 00:31:41,730
You know, you go out in the world

784
00:31:41,730 --> 00:31:42,730
and you see these sport teams.

785
00:31:42,850 --> 00:31:45,270
They play for these national championships or Super

786
00:31:45,270 --> 00:31:48,630
Bowls and they compete against each other because

787
00:31:48,630 --> 00:31:51,150
they envy that prized position where they can

788
00:31:51,150 --> 00:31:53,690
stand and be the winners of the Super

789
00:31:53,690 --> 00:31:56,070
Bowl or the national championship.

790
00:31:56,170 --> 00:31:57,770
And everybody envies that position.

791
00:31:58,650 --> 00:32:00,430
So in their envy they compete.

792
00:32:00,990 --> 00:32:02,810
That's where the whole spirit of competition comes

793
00:32:02,810 --> 00:32:02,990
from.

794
00:32:03,290 --> 00:32:05,030
Everybody wants to be the best.

795
00:32:05,650 --> 00:32:07,270
Have that place of honor.

796
00:32:13,300 --> 00:32:16,120
Churches compete and are envious of one another.

797
00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:20,340
Christian families compete.

798
00:32:21,260 --> 00:32:21,480
Yeah.

799
00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:23,900
So-and-so family did this.

800
00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:24,700
We've got to do it too.

801
00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:27,700
So-and-so individual does this.

802
00:32:27,780 --> 00:32:28,540
We've got to do it too.

803
00:32:29,140 --> 00:32:30,100
So-and-so church is doing this.

804
00:32:30,180 --> 00:32:30,880
We've got to do it too.

805
00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:35,160
I've got some quotes here.

806
00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:36,760
I might have read some of these quotes

807
00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:37,180
before.

808
00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:40,020
I'll just read a few of them to

809
00:32:40,020 --> 00:32:40,240
you.

810
00:32:43,180 --> 00:32:45,720
Joseph was thrown in a pit because of

811
00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:46,020
envy.

812
00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:49,900
And Stephen goes back to this story because

813
00:32:49,900 --> 00:32:52,040
the Jews are envious.

814
00:32:53,100 --> 00:32:55,400
They killed Jesus and put Him on a

815
00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:56,640
cross because of envy.

816
00:32:58,180 --> 00:32:59,880
And by the way, his preaching is probably

817
00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:01,080
just ripping them up in the heart.

818
00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,060
And they're envious of Stephen.

819
00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:05,560
He's sitting there with the face of an

820
00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:05,840
angel.

821
00:33:06,220 --> 00:33:07,800
And they're bitter and angry.

822
00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:15,720
The envious man frets and pines away when

823
00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:16,800
others do well.

824
00:33:17,660 --> 00:33:21,060
He can't eat or sleep quietly unless some

825
00:33:21,060 --> 00:33:24,300
mischief falls on the person he's envious of.

826
00:33:26,830 --> 00:33:27,730
You ever felt that way?

827
00:33:28,570 --> 00:33:30,090
Oh, I can't believe so-and-so got

828
00:33:30,090 --> 00:33:35,030
that blessing or they got that honor.

829
00:33:37,270 --> 00:33:39,010
That's a serious issue in your heart.

830
00:33:40,010 --> 00:33:41,510
You know, no one will ever see it

831
00:33:41,510 --> 00:33:42,870
when you come in the door.

832
00:33:43,950 --> 00:33:44,890
They don't see that.

833
00:33:44,890 --> 00:33:46,030
They don't see into your heart.

834
00:33:46,930 --> 00:33:48,330
But if you come in the door with

835
00:33:48,330 --> 00:33:50,550
a miniskirt or you get your face all

836
00:33:50,550 --> 00:33:51,930
made up, everybody sees it.

837
00:33:53,190 --> 00:33:54,810
But you can come in with an envious

838
00:33:54,810 --> 00:33:58,650
heart, nobody will see it unless someone's very

839
00:33:58,650 --> 00:34:03,670
perceptive and they perceive your envy.

840
00:34:05,130 --> 00:34:07,510
Let me read you another account here.

841
00:34:08,989 --> 00:34:11,489
As a shadow accompanies those that walk in

842
00:34:11,489 --> 00:34:15,330
the sun, so envy is a constant companion

843
00:34:15,330 --> 00:34:17,050
of those that excel others.

844
00:34:18,150 --> 00:34:19,949
As there is no shadow where there is

845
00:34:19,949 --> 00:34:21,730
no sun, so there is no envy where

846
00:34:21,730 --> 00:34:22,850
there is no prosperity.

847
00:34:23,730 --> 00:34:26,350
As the joys of the happy increase, the

848
00:34:26,350 --> 00:34:27,949
sorrows of the envious multiply.

849
00:34:28,050 --> 00:34:29,330
I just see Stephen so happy.

850
00:34:29,730 --> 00:34:30,630
His face is an angel.

851
00:34:31,010 --> 00:34:35,389
And as his joys increase, their envy just

852
00:34:35,389 --> 00:34:36,130
magnifies.

853
00:34:36,730 --> 00:34:37,190
Killing!

854
00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:43,239
As a ship tossed with continual waves, so

855
00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:45,540
the envious is always in trouble of mind,

856
00:34:46,199 --> 00:34:48,260
repining at the success of others.

857
00:34:49,980 --> 00:34:50,739
Here's a story.

858
00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:51,960
I like this and I've told this one

859
00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:52,239
before.

860
00:34:54,370 --> 00:34:57,150
I remember reading somewhere in a Grecian story

861
00:34:57,150 --> 00:34:59,130
of a man who killed himself through envy.

862
00:35:00,690 --> 00:35:03,690
His fellow citizens had reared a statue to

863
00:35:03,690 --> 00:35:05,750
one of their number who was a celebrated

864
00:35:05,750 --> 00:35:07,450
victor in the public games.

865
00:35:08,430 --> 00:35:10,970
So strong was the feeling of envy which

866
00:35:10,970 --> 00:35:12,930
this incited in the breast of one of

867
00:35:12,930 --> 00:35:16,090
the hero's rivals that he went forth every

868
00:35:16,090 --> 00:35:18,810
night in order, if possible, to destroy that

869
00:35:18,810 --> 00:35:19,270
monument.

870
00:35:20,590 --> 00:35:23,250
After repeated efforts, he moved it from its

871
00:35:23,250 --> 00:35:27,350
pedestal and it fell and its fall crushed

872
00:35:27,350 --> 00:35:27,750
him.

873
00:35:31,170 --> 00:35:33,250
Ah, I can't stand the fact that this

874
00:35:33,250 --> 00:35:35,830
guy is getting glory and honor from being

875
00:35:35,830 --> 00:35:36,210
the winner.

876
00:35:38,730 --> 00:35:39,910
I'm going to take it down.

877
00:35:41,470 --> 00:35:44,310
And in doing so, he destroyed himself.

878
00:35:45,030 --> 00:35:47,430
These Jewish people that Stephen is preaching to

879
00:35:47,430 --> 00:35:48,590
are very envious.

880
00:35:49,350 --> 00:35:50,570
They envy Jesus.

881
00:35:51,510 --> 00:35:53,490
Why can't we do miracles like that?

882
00:35:54,010 --> 00:35:56,410
Why don't we have the throngs of people?

883
00:35:56,530 --> 00:35:58,730
Why can't our leaders speak with authority as

884
00:35:58,730 --> 00:36:00,050
they do, as he does?

885
00:36:00,450 --> 00:36:01,510
Why can't we?

886
00:36:01,590 --> 00:36:02,570
We envy him.

887
00:36:04,070 --> 00:36:06,070
And in doing so, we'll shut him down.

888
00:36:07,170 --> 00:36:08,410
We'll shut Stephen down.

889
00:36:08,470 --> 00:36:09,430
We'll shut them all down.

890
00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:16,420
So is there any envy in your heart?

891
00:36:17,580 --> 00:36:19,140
I mean, is there anybody in your life

892
00:36:19,140 --> 00:36:21,700
that you say, I kind of wish they

893
00:36:21,700 --> 00:36:22,540
wouldn't do well.

894
00:36:23,180 --> 00:36:25,220
I kind of wish God wouldn't bless them.

895
00:36:25,240 --> 00:36:26,700
I kind of wish they wouldn't get that

896
00:36:26,700 --> 00:36:29,260
good job or they wouldn't get that position

897
00:36:29,260 --> 00:36:29,880
in the church.

898
00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:33,400
I wish that bad things would happen to

899
00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:33,660
them.

900
00:36:35,020 --> 00:36:39,550
That's not a good place to be, even

901
00:36:39,550 --> 00:36:42,250
young people, envying each other.

902
00:36:45,350 --> 00:36:46,750
Well, Joseph is going to end up in

903
00:36:46,750 --> 00:36:48,770
a pit because of that little thing called

904
00:36:48,770 --> 00:36:49,290
envy.

905
00:36:49,290 --> 00:36:53,490
There's a kid, he's a dreamer, and our

906
00:36:53,490 --> 00:36:55,890
Father gives him favoritism.

907
00:36:56,190 --> 00:36:57,130
Makes him this coat.

908
00:36:57,770 --> 00:36:59,510
Why can't He do that for us?

909
00:37:00,810 --> 00:37:02,230
We're going to take him out.

910
00:37:02,750 --> 00:37:03,090
Envy.

911
00:37:04,090 --> 00:37:05,470
You know what they should have done?

912
00:37:07,010 --> 00:37:08,690
I'm so happy for Joseph.

913
00:37:09,850 --> 00:37:13,170
I'm so blessed that Daddy loves Joseph so

914
00:37:13,170 --> 00:37:14,630
much and gives him that coat.

915
00:37:14,970 --> 00:37:17,070
I'm so blessed for Joseph.

916
00:37:17,070 --> 00:37:19,230
I rejoice with them that rejoice.

917
00:37:19,950 --> 00:37:20,090
Right?

918
00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:23,520
That's the way we ought to be when

919
00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:24,180
others prosper.

920
00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:27,200
We ought to be thankful and rejoice with

921
00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:27,400
them.

922
00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:36,080
Well, look at verse 9 here.

923
00:37:36,240 --> 00:37:38,380
Through envy, these men were willing to destroy

924
00:37:38,380 --> 00:37:38,900
a life.

925
00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:42,740
And the patriarchs moved with envy and sold

926
00:37:42,740 --> 00:37:44,140
Joseph into Egypt.

927
00:37:44,260 --> 00:37:45,380
And nobody knew what was going to happen

928
00:37:45,380 --> 00:37:45,860
to Joseph.

929
00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:47,060
Maybe he was going to be a slave.

930
00:37:48,140 --> 00:37:52,920
But they were willing to discard an individual.

931
00:37:53,260 --> 00:37:56,620
That's how strong and powerful envy can be

932
00:37:56,620 --> 00:37:57,220
in your heart.

933
00:37:57,340 --> 00:38:01,160
You can destroy a person with envy.

934
00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:03,520
Cast him in a pit.

935
00:38:04,940 --> 00:38:07,060
Maybe not kill him, but envy will do

936
00:38:07,060 --> 00:38:07,300
that.

937
00:38:09,540 --> 00:38:11,200
You know, Jesus lost His life.

938
00:38:11,700 --> 00:38:14,140
And pretty soon, probably in the next half

939
00:38:14,140 --> 00:38:18,570
hour, Stephen's going to lose his from envy.

940
00:38:21,810 --> 00:38:24,250
And these kind of things is what God's

941
00:38:24,250 --> 00:38:26,490
Spirit is trying to convey to these counselors,

942
00:38:26,710 --> 00:38:28,730
these leaders that Stephen is talking to.

943
00:38:28,830 --> 00:38:29,390
Don't you remember?

944
00:38:29,870 --> 00:38:30,490
Don't you remember?

945
00:38:31,010 --> 00:38:34,730
You've got the same envy that the patriarchs

946
00:38:34,730 --> 00:38:35,690
had of Joseph.

947
00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:41,100
You killed him, and you killed the Messiah.

948
00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:47,740
Well, verse 9 says they sold Joseph.

949
00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:49,700
Did they sell Jesus?

950
00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:51,180
Yeah, they did.

951
00:38:51,240 --> 00:38:52,360
30 pieces of silver.

952
00:38:53,540 --> 00:38:56,220
Sold him to the Jewish leaders.

953
00:38:57,180 --> 00:38:59,520
But thankfully, God was with him.

954
00:39:00,260 --> 00:39:02,900
Verse 9 says, And God was with him

955
00:39:02,900 --> 00:39:06,520
and delivered him out of all his afflictions.

956
00:39:09,820 --> 00:39:11,460
God was with Jesus too.

957
00:39:11,700 --> 00:39:13,660
Jesus said, He hath not left Me alone.

958
00:39:17,380 --> 00:39:19,120
And praise God, He has not left us

959
00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:19,620
alone either.

960
00:39:20,220 --> 00:39:22,640
And lo, I am with you always, even

961
00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:23,740
unto the end of the earth.

962
00:39:24,580 --> 00:39:25,860
And here's something interesting.

963
00:39:25,980 --> 00:39:27,520
Verse 10 says, And delivered him out of

964
00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:28,420
all his afflictions.

965
00:39:28,420 --> 00:39:31,300
The Lord raised Jesus up from the grave

966
00:39:31,300 --> 00:39:34,240
and gave Him favor and wisdom in the

967
00:39:34,240 --> 00:39:35,580
sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

968
00:39:35,980 --> 00:39:37,900
And He made Him governor over Egypt and

969
00:39:37,900 --> 00:39:39,040
all his house.

970
00:39:40,100 --> 00:39:41,700
Here's a beautiful picture of Christ.

971
00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:43,880
This One who was delivered up by envy

972
00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:46,180
was now given a place at the right

973
00:39:46,180 --> 00:39:48,380
hand of the King of everything on the

974
00:39:48,380 --> 00:39:48,920
earth, Pharaoh.

975
00:39:50,020 --> 00:39:51,760
And so here Jesus is raised up.

976
00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:52,900
He's at the right hand of God.

977
00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:56,240
Given a great position.

978
00:39:58,820 --> 00:40:00,340
But I want to teach you some lessons

979
00:40:00,340 --> 00:40:02,900
here on the life of Joseph.

980
00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:07,620
The Israelites rejected Joseph.

981
00:40:09,990 --> 00:40:12,610
Joseph, if you read his story, he has

982
00:40:12,610 --> 00:40:15,230
a beautiful spirit about him throughout all these

983
00:40:15,230 --> 00:40:15,470
things.

984
00:40:15,550 --> 00:40:18,310
Someone mentioned here troubles and afflictions today.

985
00:40:18,530 --> 00:40:20,270
Joseph's life was full of affliction.

986
00:40:22,730 --> 00:40:24,350
But I want to show you some things

987
00:40:24,350 --> 00:40:26,930
that what Joseph was doing that God honored

988
00:40:26,930 --> 00:40:27,090
him.

989
00:40:30,730 --> 00:40:32,510
Look at some lessons here from the life

990
00:40:32,510 --> 00:40:33,070
of Joseph.

991
00:40:35,670 --> 00:40:38,550
Those who were persecuting Joseph, his brothers, even

992
00:40:38,550 --> 00:40:42,090
in Egypt, in spite of all that Joseph

993
00:40:42,090 --> 00:40:45,110
faced, and it was a lot of difficulty,

994
00:40:46,090 --> 00:40:48,710
he maintained an excellent spirit.

995
00:40:49,870 --> 00:40:52,290
Joseph had a good heart.

996
00:40:53,510 --> 00:40:56,810
And Joseph's attitude, his spirit was excellent.

997
00:40:56,910 --> 00:40:57,850
Just like Daniel.

998
00:40:59,290 --> 00:41:01,870
These men who went through great trial and

999
00:41:01,870 --> 00:41:02,330
affliction.

1000
00:41:02,510 --> 00:41:04,510
Daniel taken into Babylonian captivity.

1001
00:41:04,510 --> 00:41:08,150
In that captivity, he had an excellent spirit.

1002
00:41:08,590 --> 00:41:11,950
And that spirit raised him up to a

1003
00:41:11,950 --> 00:41:12,730
high place.

1004
00:41:12,810 --> 00:41:14,030
And the same thing is going to happen

1005
00:41:14,030 --> 00:41:14,590
to Joseph.

1006
00:41:15,070 --> 00:41:18,050
People see in Joseph an excellent spirit.

1007
00:41:19,270 --> 00:41:21,810
And they say, Joseph, come up here.

1008
00:41:22,450 --> 00:41:23,230
I like you.

1009
00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:27,920
Now, Joseph doesn't have an excellent spirit because

1010
00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:29,520
life has gone easy for him.

1011
00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:33,120
His excellent spirit is in the midst of

1012
00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:34,240
great difficulty.

1013
00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:39,980
By the way, I think this message, if

1014
00:41:39,980 --> 00:41:42,460
the Spirit of God is using this, it's

1015
00:41:42,460 --> 00:41:45,480
very convicting to these Jews because they know

1016
00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:46,000
history.

1017
00:41:49,070 --> 00:41:51,050
And their hearts, they know their hearts.

1018
00:41:51,170 --> 00:41:52,510
And they know Stephen here.

1019
00:41:52,650 --> 00:41:54,250
His heart is good.

1020
00:41:57,130 --> 00:41:58,470
And he's filled with the Spirit.

1021
00:41:59,130 --> 00:42:01,530
Well, just to give you a few examples

1022
00:42:01,530 --> 00:42:05,330
of Joseph's life, Joseph is cast into a

1023
00:42:05,330 --> 00:42:05,630
pit.

1024
00:42:05,990 --> 00:42:09,150
Can you imagine your brothers betraying you and

1025
00:42:09,150 --> 00:42:11,770
throwing you into a pit and selling you

1026
00:42:11,770 --> 00:42:14,750
off into another country, into Egypt?

1027
00:42:15,210 --> 00:42:16,850
Just put yourself in that condition.

1028
00:42:17,530 --> 00:42:17,990
Wade?

1029
00:42:19,270 --> 00:42:20,490
Can you hear me, Wade?

1030
00:42:21,330 --> 00:42:23,330
Can you imagine your family, your brothers and

1031
00:42:23,330 --> 00:42:24,970
sisters, throwing you into a pit and selling

1032
00:42:24,970 --> 00:42:25,190
you?

1033
00:42:25,670 --> 00:42:26,850
Joseph was a young man.

1034
00:42:27,390 --> 00:42:28,430
Selling you into Egypt.

1035
00:42:28,570 --> 00:42:31,690
What a way to start your young life

1036
00:42:32,610 --> 00:42:34,730
rejected by your own family.

1037
00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:41,740
Then he gets thrown into prison in Egypt.

1038
00:42:43,660 --> 00:42:46,080
He suffers through a false accusation.

1039
00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:46,920
You remember the story?

1040
00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:51,220
Potiphar's wife tries to lure him to have

1041
00:42:51,220 --> 00:42:54,140
an immoral relationship and Joseph stands his ground

1042
00:42:54,140 --> 00:42:55,580
and says no, no, no, no.

1043
00:42:55,880 --> 00:43:00,860
Finally, she concocts this idea and tries to

1044
00:43:00,860 --> 00:43:06,480
deceive and blame Joseph for trying to approach

1045
00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:07,940
her and rape her.

1046
00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:13,360
And Joseph takes this false accusation and he

1047
00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:14,420
ends up in prison.

1048
00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:18,720
That's all Stephen.

1049
00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:21,260
How he took false accusation.

1050
00:43:22,060 --> 00:43:23,700
Now Joseph is being accused.

1051
00:43:24,820 --> 00:43:25,940
Immoral, immorality.

1052
00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:29,180
So he's in prison.

1053
00:43:29,540 --> 00:43:30,180
You know the story.

1054
00:43:30,980 --> 00:43:32,940
And these two guys have dreams.

1055
00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:34,140
This butler and this baker.

1056
00:43:35,860 --> 00:43:37,860
And Joseph's a man of God and he

1057
00:43:37,860 --> 00:43:38,540
has a good spirit.

1058
00:43:38,940 --> 00:43:40,360
He gets a vision from the Lord.

1059
00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:42,280
He explains this dream.

1060
00:43:44,020 --> 00:43:46,340
And he tells them the whole story.

1061
00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:48,860
He tells this baker, now remember when you

1062
00:43:48,860 --> 00:43:50,460
get up to Pharaoh and you tell him

1063
00:43:50,460 --> 00:43:52,640
this whole thing, remember me.

1064
00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:54,380
Remind him of me so I can get

1065
00:43:54,380 --> 00:43:54,740
out.

1066
00:43:55,720 --> 00:43:56,660
What's the baker do?

1067
00:43:57,500 --> 00:43:58,180
Forgets him.

1068
00:44:02,180 --> 00:44:03,460
This is a tough life he's living.

1069
00:44:09,350 --> 00:44:11,370
Many injustices he goes through.

1070
00:44:11,990 --> 00:44:14,710
But he always has a good spirit and

1071
00:44:14,710 --> 00:44:15,690
he's trusting God.

1072
00:44:19,340 --> 00:44:20,080
He's never bitter.

1073
00:44:20,580 --> 00:44:22,880
We don't see any unforgiveness in him.

1074
00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:25,560
Even when he approaches his brothers, there's no

1075
00:44:25,560 --> 00:44:26,560
unforgiveness there.

1076
00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:29,560
He actually says, and we could all say

1077
00:44:29,560 --> 00:44:31,560
this, I went through a very difficult time.

1078
00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:32,440
You betrayed me.

1079
00:44:32,700 --> 00:44:35,020
You treated me like you almost killed me.

1080
00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:36,700
You gave up my life and threw me

1081
00:44:36,700 --> 00:44:37,140
in a pit.

1082
00:44:37,380 --> 00:44:38,380
But you know what?

1083
00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:40,200
God was in it.

1084
00:44:40,820 --> 00:44:42,740
And you might have meant it for evil,

1085
00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:44,600
but God meant it for good.

1086
00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:47,020
You know, everything that happens in life, it

1087
00:44:47,020 --> 00:44:48,060
would be good for you to approach it

1088
00:44:48,060 --> 00:44:48,480
that way.

1089
00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:50,080
You know, you might have meant that for

1090
00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:51,960
evil when you tried to kill me, or

1091
00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:53,900
you tried to slander me, you tried to

1092
00:44:53,900 --> 00:44:55,560
lie, you tried to steal from me.

1093
00:44:56,520 --> 00:44:57,400
But I'll tell you what.

1094
00:44:57,860 --> 00:44:59,260
I think God was in it.

1095
00:45:00,080 --> 00:45:01,720
He was trying to work something out in

1096
00:45:01,720 --> 00:45:01,940
me.

1097
00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:03,940
God meant it for good.

1098
00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:11,700
Well, he's a wonderful example of a good

1099
00:45:11,700 --> 00:45:12,300
spirit.

1100
00:45:16,380 --> 00:45:18,020
And the very same way we go through

1101
00:45:18,020 --> 00:45:23,320
life, we face difficulties and many injustices, many

1102
00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:26,380
trials, false accusations.

1103
00:45:30,110 --> 00:45:35,440
But, like Joseph, we need to have a

1104
00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:35,960
good heart.

1105
00:45:37,140 --> 00:45:40,420
And this good heart walks in the Spirit,

1106
00:45:40,540 --> 00:45:43,260
lives by faith, produces a good spirit.

1107
00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:46,040
Love, joy, peace, long-suffering.

1108
00:45:46,340 --> 00:45:48,340
That just doesn't mean when everything's going well,

1109
00:45:49,980 --> 00:45:54,120
patience, meekness, temperance, faith, these are the attitudes

1110
00:45:54,120 --> 00:45:56,000
of those who, even though they're in a

1111
00:45:56,000 --> 00:46:00,400
prison, even though they're struggling with affliction, are

1112
00:46:00,400 --> 00:46:03,820
still emanating a good spirit.

1113
00:46:06,060 --> 00:46:10,040
You know, if you're down here, you don't

1114
00:46:10,040 --> 00:46:11,640
have anything to emanate a good spirit.

1115
00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:14,320
And when you go through difficulty, it's, I

1116
00:46:14,320 --> 00:46:14,600
don't know!

1117
00:46:15,900 --> 00:46:17,440
Why do these people do this?

1118
00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:19,360
I want to get back at them!

1119
00:46:19,460 --> 00:46:21,960
And all the bitterness and anger and frustration

1120
00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:23,820
and all the things that come out of

1121
00:46:23,820 --> 00:46:26,720
many who call themselves Christians, and the reason

1122
00:46:26,720 --> 00:46:28,500
why that stuff comes out of there is

1123
00:46:28,500 --> 00:46:30,800
because there's a heart that's not in a

1124
00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:31,320
good place.

1125
00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:34,820
It's covered over by good things.

1126
00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:37,460
But the heart is...

1127
00:46:37,460 --> 00:46:39,160
Joseph's got a good heart in there.

1128
00:46:41,190 --> 00:46:44,130
And they're throwing a lot of curveballs at

1129
00:46:44,130 --> 00:46:46,430
him and hard things, and he's just responding,

1130
00:46:46,730 --> 00:46:49,270
just like Stephen, the face of an angel.

1131
00:46:54,840 --> 00:47:00,600
So, there is coming a day, and maybe

1132
00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:02,320
sooner than what we think, it says here

1133
00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:04,980
in Matthew 24, and I'll start in verse

1134
00:47:04,980 --> 00:47:05,980
9, you don't have to turn there, but

1135
00:47:05,980 --> 00:47:07,280
it says, Then shall they deliver you up

1136
00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:07,860
to be afflicted.

1137
00:47:07,860 --> 00:47:09,020
This is Joseph's life.

1138
00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:11,040
And they shall kill you and shall be

1139
00:47:11,040 --> 00:47:12,840
hated of all nations for My name's sake.

1140
00:47:12,900 --> 00:47:15,100
And then shall many be offended, shall betray

1141
00:47:15,100 --> 00:47:16,680
one another, and shall hate one another.

1142
00:47:17,720 --> 00:47:19,500
Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many

1143
00:47:19,500 --> 00:47:20,300
shall wax cold.

1144
00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:23,160
Are you ready to be delivered up by

1145
00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:23,820
your brethren?

1146
00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:27,380
Are you ready to be cast into a

1147
00:47:27,380 --> 00:47:28,720
prison by your brethren?

1148
00:47:29,580 --> 00:47:30,740
Jesus said it's coming.

1149
00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:34,680
You know, someday the guy that sits down

1150
00:47:34,680 --> 00:47:36,600
the pew from you is going to call

1151
00:47:36,600 --> 00:47:37,420
the police.

1152
00:47:38,440 --> 00:47:40,980
I say this comically and tell the police

1153
00:47:40,980 --> 00:47:42,460
you've not had your vaccination.

1154
00:47:44,320 --> 00:47:45,740
Or whatever they're going to be asking.

1155
00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:50,100
And then we're going to find out what

1156
00:47:50,100 --> 00:47:51,600
hearts you're of right here.

1157
00:47:52,080 --> 00:47:53,020
Or what I'm of.

1158
00:47:54,590 --> 00:47:58,070
Whether we're really dead, or whether we're very

1159
00:47:58,070 --> 00:47:58,970
much alive.

1160
00:47:59,930 --> 00:48:02,910
Just covered over with a facade.

1161
00:48:05,970 --> 00:48:12,270
And so, Joseph was betrayed, delivered up, and

1162
00:48:12,270 --> 00:48:15,030
yet in his heart, he said God's going

1163
00:48:15,030 --> 00:48:15,870
to use this for good.

1164
00:48:16,790 --> 00:48:19,410
I don't know what's going on here, but

1165
00:48:19,410 --> 00:48:22,410
everything that happens, this woman's accusing me falsely,

1166
00:48:23,130 --> 00:48:24,090
well, trust God.

1167
00:48:24,090 --> 00:48:26,650
This baker forgot me in the prison, I'm

1168
00:48:26,650 --> 00:48:27,850
going to rot here, but I'm going to

1169
00:48:27,850 --> 00:48:28,610
trust God.

1170
00:48:29,130 --> 00:48:32,070
My brothers delivered me up to a pit,

1171
00:48:32,210 --> 00:48:33,530
I'm going to trust God.

1172
00:48:35,770 --> 00:48:37,670
The Bible says in Peter that Jesus on

1173
00:48:37,670 --> 00:48:40,490
the cross says He committed Himself to Him

1174
00:48:40,490 --> 00:48:41,630
that judges righteously.

1175
00:48:48,350 --> 00:48:55,230
So, these early church, Stephen being one, are

1176
00:48:55,230 --> 00:48:59,710
having to deal with very angry religious people.

1177
00:48:59,710 --> 00:49:01,290
Now, we're going to go through the whole

1178
00:49:01,290 --> 00:49:02,430
book of Acts.

1179
00:49:02,550 --> 00:49:03,050
There are going to be a lot of

1180
00:49:03,050 --> 00:49:03,570
these hearts.

1181
00:49:04,630 --> 00:49:09,050
Facade, but their spirit is anger, wrath, sedition,

1182
00:49:09,850 --> 00:49:13,850
bitterness, envy, jealousy, all the works of the

1183
00:49:13,850 --> 00:49:15,630
flesh, and you'll see it coming out throughout

1184
00:49:15,630 --> 00:49:16,790
the whole book of Acts.

1185
00:49:17,850 --> 00:49:20,270
And yet, those people whose hearts are right,

1186
00:49:20,630 --> 00:49:26,090
they're giving off love, joy, peace, long-suffering,

1187
00:49:26,890 --> 00:49:30,090
gentleness, meekness, that's a good thing.

1188
00:49:36,220 --> 00:49:38,180
Jesus said, the time will come that they

1189
00:49:38,180 --> 00:49:39,820
which kill you will think they do God's

1190
00:49:39,820 --> 00:49:40,000
service.

1191
00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:41,420
I have no doubt that those people who

1192
00:49:41,420 --> 00:49:43,540
stoned Stephen thought they were doing God's service.

1193
00:49:46,870 --> 00:49:48,170
We're the people of God.

1194
00:49:54,040 --> 00:49:56,020
Those who put Jesus on the cross thought

1195
00:49:56,020 --> 00:49:57,260
they were doing God's service.

1196
00:49:57,600 --> 00:49:59,960
Father, forgive them, for they know not what

1197
00:49:59,960 --> 00:50:00,500
they do.

1198
00:50:00,800 --> 00:50:03,140
They think they're doing Your service.

1199
00:50:09,950 --> 00:50:12,170
So, Stephen here brings out Joseph.

1200
00:50:13,730 --> 00:50:18,530
And Joseph was one who was rejected by

1201
00:50:18,530 --> 00:50:20,170
the patriarchs.

1202
00:50:20,870 --> 00:50:22,730
And Joseph is a picture of Christ.

1203
00:50:23,390 --> 00:50:26,990
You people who I'm preaching to, your fathers

1204
00:50:26,990 --> 00:50:29,890
rejected Joseph, cast him in a pit, God

1205
00:50:29,890 --> 00:50:31,650
raised him up, and He used him to

1206
00:50:31,650 --> 00:50:32,250
deliver you.

1207
00:50:32,750 --> 00:50:34,250
Jesus you have rejected.

1208
00:50:34,650 --> 00:50:35,810
You've thrown Him in a pit.

1209
00:50:36,310 --> 00:50:37,810
God has raised Him up and He wants

1210
00:50:37,810 --> 00:50:38,510
to deliver you.

1211
00:50:41,890 --> 00:50:44,050
And we're here to testify of this deliverance

1212
00:50:44,050 --> 00:50:46,890
because we have a right spirit.

1213
00:50:47,170 --> 00:50:48,150
We have a right heart.

1214
00:50:48,410 --> 00:50:49,830
And you can see our heart.

1215
00:50:50,150 --> 00:50:51,810
My face is the face of an angel.

1216
00:50:52,110 --> 00:50:54,530
And you are full of anger, wrath, bitterness,

1217
00:50:54,810 --> 00:50:55,470
and hatred.

1218
00:50:59,960 --> 00:51:01,980
And as we go down through life and

1219
00:51:01,980 --> 00:51:03,520
as things get more difficult, you're going to

1220
00:51:03,520 --> 00:51:05,520
see more people betraying one another.

1221
00:51:06,620 --> 00:51:08,360
Brothers rising up against brothers.

1222
00:51:10,280 --> 00:51:12,240
And I just want to encourage you to

1223
00:51:12,240 --> 00:51:13,660
be Joseph all the way down.

1224
00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:15,400
Be Stephen all the way down.

1225
00:51:17,510 --> 00:51:18,650
And have a heart.

1226
00:51:18,950 --> 00:51:20,450
Listen, if your heart is not in a

1227
00:51:20,450 --> 00:51:21,970
good place, you're not going to make it.

1228
00:51:22,090 --> 00:51:22,230
Right?

1229
00:51:23,570 --> 00:51:25,130
As a matter of fact, when it says,

1230
00:51:25,510 --> 00:51:27,470
some shall betray, others shall deliver, it goes

1231
00:51:27,470 --> 00:51:30,330
on to say, and he that shall endure

1232
00:51:30,330 --> 00:51:32,570
unto the end, the same shall be saved.

1233
00:51:34,350 --> 00:51:35,390
You know, a lot of people are going

1234
00:51:35,390 --> 00:51:37,830
to be manifested who they really are when

1235
00:51:37,830 --> 00:51:40,350
you put some heat on, pressure on.

1236
00:51:43,870 --> 00:51:45,370
Turn with me to 1 Peter.

1237
00:51:45,690 --> 00:51:47,170
I'm winding down here.

1238
00:51:47,170 --> 00:51:53,990
1 Peter 2 Peter discusses this subject.

1239
00:52:03,580 --> 00:52:05,780
In verse 20, he says, for what glory

1240
00:52:05,780 --> 00:52:07,960
is it if when you be buffeted for

1241
00:52:07,960 --> 00:52:10,960
your faults, you should take it patiently?

1242
00:52:11,820 --> 00:52:14,140
But if when you do well, like Joseph

1243
00:52:14,140 --> 00:52:19,340
or Stephen or Jesus and these apostles, and

1244
00:52:19,340 --> 00:52:22,620
suffer for it, you take it patiently, this

1245
00:52:22,620 --> 00:52:24,420
is acceptable with God.

1246
00:52:24,420 --> 00:52:28,980
In other words, that spirit of kindness when

1247
00:52:28,980 --> 00:52:32,600
people are mean, that spirit of forgiving when

1248
00:52:32,600 --> 00:52:34,980
people are bitter.

1249
00:52:41,580 --> 00:52:43,560
And verse 21, for even here unto were

1250
00:52:43,560 --> 00:52:47,840
you called, because Christ also suffered for us,

1251
00:52:47,900 --> 00:52:50,100
leaving us an example that you should follow

1252
00:52:50,100 --> 00:52:50,640
in His steps.

1253
00:52:50,680 --> 00:52:51,500
Now keep this in mind.

1254
00:52:51,580 --> 00:52:53,060
This is not a strange thing for us

1255
00:52:53,060 --> 00:52:54,820
as a Christian to go through these things.

1256
00:52:55,780 --> 00:52:58,620
If Joseph went through them, if Stephen went

1257
00:52:58,620 --> 00:53:00,620
through them, if Christ went through them, if

1258
00:53:00,620 --> 00:53:02,440
the early church went through them, it's not

1259
00:53:02,440 --> 00:53:05,520
an unusual thing for us to be challenged

1260
00:53:05,520 --> 00:53:10,610
throughout life with afflictions.

1261
00:53:11,450 --> 00:53:13,050
And some of them can come real close,

1262
00:53:18,870 --> 00:53:21,170
even inside of family relationships.

1263
00:53:25,960 --> 00:53:26,740
But let's keep reading.

1264
00:53:27,740 --> 00:53:29,260
Verse 22, who did no sin.

1265
00:53:30,540 --> 00:53:33,280
In all of this, he didn't respond in

1266
00:53:33,280 --> 00:53:35,240
a sinful way, neither was guile found in

1267
00:53:35,240 --> 00:53:38,380
his mouth, who when he was reviled, reviled

1268
00:53:38,380 --> 00:53:38,920
not again.

1269
00:53:38,920 --> 00:53:40,080
Stephen never reviled.

1270
00:53:41,100 --> 00:53:42,620
When he suffered, he threatened not.

1271
00:53:42,720 --> 00:53:46,800
Stephen mostly would have said, I've got a

1272
00:53:46,800 --> 00:53:47,540
gun, I want to shoot.

1273
00:53:50,550 --> 00:53:50,870
He didn't.

1274
00:53:51,770 --> 00:53:54,630
No, he just said, Lord, I'm going to

1275
00:53:54,630 --> 00:53:55,150
trust you.

1276
00:53:55,850 --> 00:53:57,190
If they take me out, I come to

1277
00:53:57,190 --> 00:53:57,670
be with you.

1278
00:53:58,830 --> 00:54:01,790
If they don't, throw me to prison, you'll

1279
00:54:01,790 --> 00:54:02,630
go with me there too.

1280
00:54:02,970 --> 00:54:04,450
We'll have good fellowship there in prison.

1281
00:54:10,020 --> 00:54:11,840
Who when he was reviled, reviled not again.

1282
00:54:11,920 --> 00:54:13,860
When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed,

1283
00:54:13,860 --> 00:54:17,620
here's the thing, he committed himself to him,

1284
00:54:17,720 --> 00:54:20,820
now notice this, he committed himself to him

1285
00:54:20,820 --> 00:54:24,040
that judges righteously.

1286
00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:26,740
Now that's interesting.

1287
00:54:26,940 --> 00:54:28,820
He says, not just committed himself to him,

1288
00:54:29,340 --> 00:54:33,700
but committed himself to him that judges righteously.

1289
00:54:34,400 --> 00:54:38,080
God is a righteous judge.

1290
00:54:38,540 --> 00:54:40,160
And how does God judge?

1291
00:54:41,100 --> 00:54:42,740
God looks where?

1292
00:54:43,880 --> 00:54:44,760
At the heart.

1293
00:54:47,010 --> 00:54:53,030
These people, they look good, but God is

1294
00:54:53,030 --> 00:54:55,310
going to judge righteously.

1295
00:54:57,270 --> 00:55:00,910
And if you are not being buffeted for

1296
00:55:00,910 --> 00:55:03,770
your faults, you're buffeting for doing good, you

1297
00:55:03,770 --> 00:55:06,510
can rest in that, have a good heart.

1298
00:55:07,590 --> 00:55:10,370
God will judge righteously.

1299
00:55:10,370 --> 00:55:13,970
And these people right here, who persecute you

1300
00:55:13,970 --> 00:55:17,250
like those who are persecuting Stephen, God will

1301
00:55:17,250 --> 00:55:17,930
take care of it.

1302
00:55:18,650 --> 00:55:19,610
And he did, didn't he?

1303
00:55:21,110 --> 00:55:24,770
Historically we see over and over again how

1304
00:55:24,770 --> 00:55:29,050
the Lord took care of those who persecuted

1305
00:55:29,050 --> 00:55:29,610
his people.

1306
00:55:34,520 --> 00:55:38,200
Sometimes faith calls us to go out and

1307
00:55:38,200 --> 00:55:40,720
leave everything and not even know where we

1308
00:55:40,720 --> 00:55:41,040
go.

1309
00:55:42,740 --> 00:55:44,700
And Abraham is an example of that.

1310
00:55:44,860 --> 00:55:47,180
And Stephen says, you're not like Abraham.

1311
00:55:48,920 --> 00:55:50,480
You're locked in a system.

1312
00:55:51,400 --> 00:55:54,860
And that system is destroying faith and destroying

1313
00:55:54,860 --> 00:55:55,980
walking in the Spirit.

1314
00:55:56,600 --> 00:55:58,520
You're not listening to the voice of God

1315
00:55:58,520 --> 00:55:59,260
like Abraham.

1316
00:56:01,870 --> 00:56:05,450
Sometimes, living by faith, God is calling us

1317
00:56:05,450 --> 00:56:07,110
to go to a place where we have

1318
00:56:07,110 --> 00:56:09,290
no idea what works, what we can expect.

1319
00:56:12,430 --> 00:56:17,570
Sometimes, as Joseph shows us, God will call

1320
00:56:17,570 --> 00:56:20,110
us to abide under affliction.

1321
00:56:21,530 --> 00:56:25,050
Even if it's affliction that is not just

1322
00:56:28,740 --> 00:56:30,620
and calls us by faith to have a

1323
00:56:30,620 --> 00:56:32,120
Christlike spirit and attitude.

1324
00:56:35,740 --> 00:56:38,820
Abraham is a testimony to these Jews of

1325
00:56:38,820 --> 00:56:43,340
their wayward heart and Joseph is also a

1326
00:56:43,340 --> 00:56:47,760
testimony to their wayward heart.

1327
00:56:48,240 --> 00:56:49,700
The book of Acts goes on to say

1328
00:56:49,700 --> 00:56:53,140
that that same Joseph, there was a famine

1329
00:56:53,140 --> 00:56:54,020
in the land.

1330
00:56:55,660 --> 00:56:57,380
And by the way, God works all these

1331
00:56:57,380 --> 00:56:57,860
things out.

1332
00:56:58,000 --> 00:57:02,540
God drove them out and into Joseph's lap,

1333
00:57:02,640 --> 00:57:03,000
didn't He?

1334
00:57:03,720 --> 00:57:04,360
Didn't He?

1335
00:57:04,660 --> 00:57:07,420
He caused a famine that drove them down

1336
00:57:07,420 --> 00:57:09,600
into Egypt, right to Joseph.

1337
00:57:10,900 --> 00:57:15,000
And reconciliation was made and Joseph was gracious

1338
00:57:15,000 --> 00:57:17,740
to his brothers.

1339
00:57:19,160 --> 00:57:20,560
Sometimes it takes a lifetime.

1340
00:57:20,780 --> 00:57:21,760
You know, it took a long time for

1341
00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:22,300
that to happen.

1342
00:57:25,760 --> 00:57:27,280
But God is a righteous judge.

1343
00:57:30,960 --> 00:57:33,600
And so Abraham and Joseph, next week, and

1344
00:57:33,600 --> 00:57:35,200
this one is going to take probably two

1345
00:57:35,200 --> 00:57:37,260
or three messages, but Moses takes a lot

1346
00:57:37,260 --> 00:57:37,880
of this sermon.

1347
00:57:38,160 --> 00:57:39,500
Moses, a man of faith.

1348
00:57:41,770 --> 00:57:43,230
A man that walks with God.

1349
00:57:43,230 --> 00:57:46,190
But again, a man that's rejected by the

1350
00:57:46,190 --> 00:57:46,910
Jewish people.

1351
00:57:49,180 --> 00:57:51,280
Remember Moses went and tried to help a

1352
00:57:51,280 --> 00:57:53,420
brother when they were having a dispute?

1353
00:57:55,160 --> 00:57:56,880
And then one of the brothers said, aren't

1354
00:57:56,880 --> 00:57:59,020
you the guy that killed that Egyptian last

1355
00:57:59,020 --> 00:57:59,320
week?

1356
00:57:59,860 --> 00:58:01,200
And Moses fled.

1357
00:58:02,180 --> 00:58:02,900
Forty years.

1358
00:58:07,470 --> 00:58:09,430
So God is interested here.

1359
00:58:09,610 --> 00:58:11,390
While man is looking on the outward appearance,

1360
00:58:11,470 --> 00:58:12,610
God is looking on the heart.

1361
00:58:12,970 --> 00:58:15,890
And the problem with the nation of Israel

1362
00:58:15,890 --> 00:58:19,250
is they don't have the internals.

1363
00:58:23,660 --> 00:58:25,900
I would much rather if you don't have

1364
00:58:25,900 --> 00:58:29,740
the internals not to put on a facade

1365
00:58:29,740 --> 00:58:33,300
on the outside because it's simply not only

1366
00:58:33,300 --> 00:58:37,720
deceiving me, but it's deceiving you and putting

1367
00:58:37,720 --> 00:58:42,880
you in a place where two-fold more

1368
00:58:42,880 --> 00:58:43,840
a child of hell.

1369
00:58:47,360 --> 00:58:50,300
So let's consider those things.

1370
00:58:50,400 --> 00:58:52,260
We'll look at Moses next time.

1371
00:58:52,260 --> 00:58:55,710
A man of faith.

1372
00:58:58,450 --> 00:59:02,630
But someone who also was rejected by the

1373
00:59:02,630 --> 00:59:03,010
nation of Israel.

1374
00:59:03,030 --> 00:59:04,930
So Stephen is bringing up all these individuals

1375
00:59:04,930 --> 00:59:06,930
and how the nation has rejected.

1376
00:59:07,870 --> 00:59:08,370
Rejected.

1377
00:59:08,710 --> 00:59:11,390
And then they're going to reject Christ.

1378
00:59:14,600 --> 00:59:17,400
Okay, let's close in prayer and then we'll

1379
00:59:17,400 --> 00:59:18,720
open it up if anyone wants to share

1380
00:59:19,860 --> 00:59:22,960
maybe something God has spoken to your heart.

1381
00:59:23,660 --> 00:59:28,840
Do we have uncircumcised or circumcised hearts and

1382
00:59:28,840 --> 00:59:29,280
ears?

1383
00:59:31,780 --> 00:59:33,360
What is God saying to each one of

1384
00:59:33,360 --> 00:59:35,920
us about our own life?

1385
00:59:36,100 --> 00:59:39,200
Lord, we pray for grace and mercy.

1386
00:59:39,340 --> 00:59:40,940
Thank You that You're a long-suffering God.

1387
00:59:41,060 --> 00:59:42,900
And Lord, we see throughout the Scriptures Your

1388
00:59:42,900 --> 00:59:46,420
great mercy upon the people of God and

1389
00:59:46,420 --> 00:59:50,120
even throughout the Old Testament calling Your people

1390
00:59:50,120 --> 00:59:55,080
over and over again to restore relationship with

1391
00:59:55,080 --> 00:59:55,380
You.

1392
00:59:56,880 --> 00:59:58,580
The fountain of living water.

1393
01:00:00,060 --> 01:00:01,480
And Lord, may we not end up in

1394
01:00:01,480 --> 01:00:05,320
the same predicament, a form of godliness, external,

1395
01:00:05,500 --> 01:00:08,560
but we don't concern ourselves with the thoughts

1396
01:00:08,560 --> 01:00:10,240
and intents of our heart.

1397
01:00:12,060 --> 01:00:14,580
And Lord, may that be magnified in each

1398
01:00:14,580 --> 01:00:15,960
of our lives and may we not make

1399
01:00:15,960 --> 01:00:16,840
the same mistake.

1400
01:00:18,100 --> 01:00:20,300
May we be very concerned about our attitudes

1401
01:00:20,300 --> 01:00:23,420
and our thoughts and our motives, Lord.

1402
01:00:25,400 --> 01:00:27,580
And Lord, may that be the focus of

1403
01:00:27,580 --> 01:00:28,020
our heart.

1404
01:00:29,600 --> 01:00:31,320
Blessed are the pure in heart, Lord, for

1405
01:00:31,320 --> 01:00:32,300
they shall see God.

1406
01:00:33,340 --> 01:00:35,060
And so Lord, make us, help us to

1407
01:00:35,060 --> 01:00:36,840
be pure in heart.

1408
01:00:38,160 --> 01:00:40,620
In Jesus' name, Amen.

1409
01:00:42,620 --> 01:00:43,260
All right.

1410
01:00:43,960 --> 01:00:45,660
Anything you'd like to share this morning?

1411
01:00:54,160 --> 01:00:56,140
Okay, John wants to share.

1412
01:00:59,660 --> 01:01:04,200
The message today, and I acknowledge that I

1413
01:01:04,200 --> 01:01:07,160
have failed in those areas at times where

1414
01:01:07,160 --> 01:01:12,260
that envy and anger was in my heart.

1415
01:01:13,440 --> 01:01:16,460
And it wasn't until I recognized that the

1416
01:01:16,460 --> 01:01:20,360
peace of God has left and realized that

1417
01:01:20,360 --> 01:01:23,920
no matter how right I may be and

1418
01:01:23,920 --> 01:01:26,540
how wrong I think someone else is, that's

1419
01:01:26,540 --> 01:01:27,480
really not the point.

1420
01:01:27,480 --> 01:01:30,420
It's that my heart is far from God

1421
01:01:30,420 --> 01:01:33,560
and there's no peace in such a place.

1422
01:01:34,880 --> 01:01:37,280
And until we repent, that peace is not

1423
01:01:37,280 --> 01:01:38,960
going to come back, but it will come

1424
01:01:38,960 --> 01:01:41,640
back when we truly see that it doesn't

1425
01:01:41,640 --> 01:01:45,200
matter what people do to me, my spirit,

1426
01:01:45,440 --> 01:01:47,800
I'm responsible for my spirit.

1427
01:01:48,860 --> 01:01:52,640
And I remember a time where I was

1428
01:01:52,640 --> 01:01:53,100
struggling.

1429
01:01:53,440 --> 01:01:55,480
It's just, I don't know what to do.

1430
01:01:56,320 --> 01:01:59,020
It's traumatic in your mind and you're battling

1431
01:01:59,020 --> 01:01:59,960
in your mind.

1432
01:02:00,840 --> 01:02:03,720
And the words that Christ had shared came

1433
01:02:03,720 --> 01:02:04,340
to me.

1434
01:02:05,040 --> 01:02:07,280
Father, forgive them for they know not what

1435
01:02:07,280 --> 01:02:07,680
they do.

1436
01:02:07,760 --> 01:02:10,360
We don't have to understand all the situation,

1437
01:02:11,100 --> 01:02:12,780
but our heart must be in a right

1438
01:02:12,780 --> 01:02:13,260
place.

1439
01:02:13,400 --> 01:02:14,220
And I got peace.

1440
01:02:14,940 --> 01:02:17,700
It didn't change the situation, but my heart,

1441
01:02:17,780 --> 01:02:18,580
I found peace.

1442
01:02:19,360 --> 01:02:21,820
I think there's many times, we read through

1443
01:02:21,820 --> 01:02:24,320
the Psalms, and many places where David prayed

1444
01:02:24,320 --> 01:02:27,500
against his enemies and prayed for deliverance.

1445
01:02:28,780 --> 01:02:32,460
And he found peace and joy and victory.

1446
01:02:33,520 --> 01:02:35,060
But I had to think, how many years

1447
01:02:35,060 --> 01:02:37,560
was he fleeing for his life from Saul?

1448
01:02:39,680 --> 01:02:42,360
And God did deliver him, but it was

1449
01:02:42,360 --> 01:02:43,700
a long time.

1450
01:02:44,060 --> 01:02:46,380
He had to be patient a long time.

1451
01:02:47,220 --> 01:02:48,780
And he had a chance to take Saul

1452
01:02:48,780 --> 01:02:49,300
out too.

1453
01:02:49,500 --> 01:02:50,120
He did.

1454
01:02:50,120 --> 01:02:52,320
And then I thought of his verses in

1455
01:02:52,320 --> 01:02:56,820
Psalms where David said twice in verse 67

1456
01:02:56,820 --> 01:03:00,680
and 71 in Psalms 119, he says, Before

1457
01:03:00,680 --> 01:03:04,060
I was afflicted, I went astray, but now

1458
01:03:04,060 --> 01:03:05,360
have I kept thy word.

1459
01:03:05,460 --> 01:03:08,240
In verse 71, It is good for me

1460
01:03:08,240 --> 01:03:09,880
that I have been afflicted that I might

1461
01:03:09,880 --> 01:03:11,120
learn thy statutes.

1462
01:03:11,720 --> 01:03:15,020
We can just focus on God's goodness and

1463
01:03:15,020 --> 01:03:18,500
the life of Joseph and how often he

1464
01:03:18,500 --> 01:03:21,820
was wronged but he had a faith in

1465
01:03:21,820 --> 01:03:24,240
God that seen him through and it blessed

1466
01:03:24,240 --> 01:03:25,440
other people's lives.

1467
01:03:25,740 --> 01:03:28,800
So many lives were saved because of his

1468
01:03:28,800 --> 01:03:29,620
faithfulness.

1469
01:03:30,000 --> 01:03:30,620
Yes, that's true.

1470
01:03:30,660 --> 01:03:33,020
And so the same way for Jesus Christ,

1471
01:03:33,140 --> 01:03:36,420
our Savior, we have gone astray.

1472
01:03:37,120 --> 01:03:39,680
We have, everyone have gone our own way,

1473
01:03:40,600 --> 01:03:44,080
but by believing in him, that blood cleanses

1474
01:03:44,080 --> 01:03:45,480
us from all of our sins.

1475
01:03:45,660 --> 01:03:46,640
I'm thankful for that.

1476
01:03:51,220 --> 01:03:54,060
I confess too that I feel like the

1477
01:03:54,060 --> 01:03:55,820
Lord laid a finger on something in my

1478
01:03:55,820 --> 01:03:58,980
heart too that as you were preaching and

1479
01:03:58,980 --> 01:04:01,960
sharing that, I feel like I have been

1480
01:04:01,960 --> 01:04:04,760
struggling with that spirit of envy in a

1481
01:04:04,760 --> 01:04:06,060
certain area of my heart.

1482
01:04:06,200 --> 01:04:09,480
As we were praying, I was just confessing

1483
01:04:09,480 --> 01:04:11,600
that to God and just felt like he

1484
01:04:11,600 --> 01:04:15,080
wanted me to confess that and I just

1485
01:04:15,080 --> 01:04:15,820
want to be free.

1486
01:04:16,220 --> 01:04:18,160
And I think that sometimes it just helps

1487
01:04:18,160 --> 01:04:21,940
us to be honest with envy for others

1488
01:04:21,940 --> 01:04:22,820
and I want to do that.

1489
01:04:22,960 --> 01:04:25,560
I just feel like it is an area

1490
01:04:25,560 --> 01:04:27,060
of my heart that I want to be

1491
01:04:27,060 --> 01:04:27,340
free.

1492
01:04:30,620 --> 01:04:34,400
There is no temptation taking you but such

1493
01:04:34,400 --> 01:04:35,240
as is common.

1494
01:04:35,880 --> 01:04:38,440
People don't want to acknowledge it's common, but

1495
01:04:38,440 --> 01:04:40,220
it is common to all men.

1496
01:04:41,320 --> 01:04:43,880
In order to rejoice with them that rejoice,

1497
01:04:45,000 --> 01:04:48,580
one must truly rejoice in the prosperity of

1498
01:04:48,580 --> 01:04:48,880
others.

1499
01:04:49,980 --> 01:04:51,760
In order to weep with them that weep,

1500
01:04:51,820 --> 01:04:54,660
one must truly feel sorry when people have

1501
01:04:54,660 --> 01:04:55,940
bad things happen to them.

1502
01:04:56,480 --> 01:04:58,140
But if you rejoice when people have bad

1503
01:04:58,140 --> 01:05:00,400
things happen to them and grieve when you

1504
01:05:00,400 --> 01:05:02,560
have good things happen to them, that's an

1505
01:05:02,560 --> 01:05:04,220
envious situation.

1506
01:05:04,960 --> 01:05:07,240
We ought to be able to freely rejoice

1507
01:05:07,750 --> 01:05:10,260
when people, God blesses someone or God does

1508
01:05:10,260 --> 01:05:12,580
a miracle, let's rejoice with them.

1509
01:05:13,500 --> 01:05:17,280
That's putting him first, not our own personal

1510
01:05:17,280 --> 01:05:19,300
desires or the world.

1511
01:05:20,460 --> 01:05:24,820
I appreciate the message and I feel that

1512
01:05:24,820 --> 01:05:29,120
I'm not really perhaps worthy to say anything

1513
01:05:29,120 --> 01:05:32,360
here, but what you were talking about ties

1514
01:05:32,360 --> 01:05:36,580
in well with what Caleb's Bible verse this

1515
01:05:36,580 --> 01:05:39,680
morning also that he mentioned.

1516
01:05:40,260 --> 01:05:43,700
If you love me, you'll keep my commandments.

1517
01:05:44,700 --> 01:05:47,060
It doesn't say if you keep my commandments,

1518
01:05:47,240 --> 01:05:47,780
you love me.

1519
01:05:48,680 --> 01:05:51,620
So it's that flow from the internal to

1520
01:05:51,620 --> 01:05:52,780
the externals.

1521
01:05:53,600 --> 01:05:55,960
If the flow is from the externals to

1522
01:05:55,960 --> 01:05:58,520
the internals, the externals become distorted.

1523
01:05:58,920 --> 01:06:00,160
And it won't get to the internal.

1524
01:06:00,800 --> 01:06:03,480
So it's not so much, perhaps it's not

1525
01:06:03,480 --> 01:06:06,240
so much the presence of the externals, it's

1526
01:06:06,240 --> 01:06:08,780
the distortion because it's going from external to

1527
01:06:08,780 --> 01:06:12,600
internal and it's not just plain churches that

1528
01:06:12,600 --> 01:06:13,660
are dealing with this.

1529
01:06:14,240 --> 01:06:19,580
Liberal churches, love your neighbor, they distort that

1530
01:06:19,580 --> 01:06:28,160
in justifying homosexuality and social justice type issues

1531
01:06:28,160 --> 01:06:28,960
with the homeless.

1532
01:06:29,600 --> 01:06:32,080
If they make that their focus, it becomes

1533
01:06:32,080 --> 01:06:35,400
distorted because it goes flowing from the outward

1534
01:06:35,400 --> 01:06:37,400
to the inward and that's not the way

1535
01:06:37,400 --> 01:06:39,580
God designed us to be.

1536
01:06:40,320 --> 01:06:43,380
He designed us for the inward to the

1537
01:06:43,380 --> 01:06:43,680
outward.

1538
01:06:45,360 --> 01:06:46,860
Thank you again for the message.

1539
01:06:47,480 --> 01:06:50,400
Cleanse first that which is within the cup

1540
01:06:50,400 --> 01:06:52,820
because that's where God's working first.

1541
01:07:01,680 --> 01:07:02,440
Anybody else?

1542
01:07:07,380 --> 01:07:09,400
So many types of Christ in Joseph.

1543
01:07:09,620 --> 01:07:11,240
It's amazing all the things that we could

1544
01:07:11,240 --> 01:07:11,760
talk about.

1545
01:07:11,760 --> 01:07:23,020
All right, let's

1546
01:07:23,020 --> 01:07:31,820
not be like the Jewish people and reject

1547
01:07:31,820 --> 01:07:34,260
God's messengers, his voice.

1548
01:07:38,330 --> 01:07:41,930
Anybody have any announcements or prayer requests?

1549
01:07:42,130 --> 01:07:44,030
There's a couple's night coming up, it's getting

1550
01:07:44,030 --> 01:07:45,550
close, February 12th.

1551
01:07:46,650 --> 01:07:47,830
Do you need anything?

1552
01:07:48,490 --> 01:07:50,250
Affirmations, people that are coming?

1553
01:07:50,570 --> 01:07:51,990
Did we let you know that we're coming?

1554
01:07:56,670 --> 01:07:58,170
Okay, so Ellie.

1555
01:08:01,020 --> 01:08:04,140
So let Ellie know or is she going

1556
01:08:04,140 --> 01:08:04,820
to take care of that?

1557
01:08:09,550 --> 01:08:09,850
Okay.

1558
01:08:11,050 --> 01:08:11,870
We'll just let her.

1559
01:08:12,750 --> 01:08:15,210
We won't get ahead of the ball there.

1560
01:08:16,290 --> 01:08:18,649
And this Thursday Brothers Meeting, if you can

1561
01:08:18,649 --> 01:08:23,149
make it here on Thursday evening, 7 o

1562
01:08:23,149 --> 01:08:23,450
'clock.

1563
01:08:25,130 --> 01:08:29,710
Prayer meetings on Saturday morning, 7 o'clock

1564
01:08:29,710 --> 01:08:31,390
here at the church.

1565
01:08:31,390 --> 01:08:33,109
We gather together to pray.

1566
01:08:33,229 --> 01:08:34,130
Anyone would like to pray?

1567
01:08:35,430 --> 01:08:36,330
7 o'clock.

1568
01:08:37,130 --> 01:08:38,810
Any other announcements, prayer requests?

1569
01:08:38,910 --> 01:08:39,090
Yes.

1570
01:08:50,270 --> 01:08:52,109
Okay, right back here is the list if

1571
01:08:52,109 --> 01:08:52,569
you want to go.

1572
01:08:52,649 --> 01:08:53,470
How many people we need?

1573
01:08:53,550 --> 01:08:53,870
More.

1574
01:08:54,550 --> 01:08:55,050
Two more.

1575
01:08:56,850 --> 01:08:58,670
So it's a trip down where?

1576
01:08:58,790 --> 01:08:59,510
Somewhere south.

1577
01:08:59,590 --> 01:09:01,050
It's always good to go south in the

1578
01:09:01,050 --> 01:09:01,229
winter.

1579
01:09:08,050 --> 01:09:08,390
Okay.

1580
01:09:09,510 --> 01:09:10,729
You want to lend a hand?

1581
01:09:11,390 --> 01:09:13,149
Chris needs two more volunteers.

1582
01:09:17,350 --> 01:09:18,189
Two more volunteers.

1583
01:09:18,390 --> 01:09:19,529
You need two more volunteers.

1584
01:09:19,529 --> 01:09:20,350
Okay.

1585
01:09:23,540 --> 01:09:29,580
Well, Ephraim, your prayer request you gave us.

1586
01:09:30,000 --> 01:09:31,500
How's that situation working out?

1587
01:09:59,880 --> 01:10:01,960
How did the accident happen, do you know?

1588
01:10:07,160 --> 01:10:07,820
Fell on him?

1589
01:10:28,340 --> 01:10:29,940
Okay, let's continue to pray.

1590
01:10:32,100 --> 01:10:33,900
All right, why don't we stand and we'll.

1591
01:10:35,320 --> 01:10:37,320
Brother David, why don't you close this and

1592
01:10:37,320 --> 01:10:38,080
then we'll have a song.

1593
01:10:53,540 --> 01:11:12,840
Thank you, Lord, for what

1594
01:11:12,840 --> 01:11:13,680
takes place.

1595
01:11:13,840 --> 01:11:15,480
Lord, we want to submit.

1596
01:11:15,700 --> 01:11:44,380
We want to pass this

1597
01:11:44,380 --> 01:11:44,720
food.

1598
01:11:50,770 --> 01:11:52,490
We want to praise you, Lord.

1599
01:11:58,830 --> 01:12:02,830
I'm pressing on the upward way.

1600
01:12:03,790 --> 01:12:08,110
New heights I'm gaining every day.

1601
01:12:08,110 --> 01:12:12,930
Still praying as I'm onward bound.

1602
01:12:13,270 --> 01:12:17,650
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

1603
01:12:18,130 --> 01:12:22,490
Lord, lift me up and let me stand.

1604
01:12:22,890 --> 01:12:27,230
My faith on heaven's table land.

1605
01:12:27,610 --> 01:12:31,870
A higher plane than I have found.

1606
01:12:31,870 --> 01:12:37,870
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.