Acts: Early Church Practice

It's so Acts chapter three, if you'll turn with me. So we've been

in the study through the Book of Acts for for some time, and this

morning I want to pick back up in the third chapter. Last week we

looked at them the early devotion of the early Church. What were they devoted

to? Um? Last week? And this morning we want to look at

their early church practices. And so I want to look at the practices of

the early Church. We looked at what they were devoted to last week.

This week we want to look at what did they do? What what were

they what were their practices? You know, when I was in two thousand

and four, Brandy was working at a Christian school in Durham, I mean

not a Durham, in Conway. And at that Christian school they asked me

to coach volleyball. And well, I had played volleyball and played a lot

of outdoor sand volleyball, but never had played indoor. And so I I

was, you know, a student of the game at that point and trying

to learn. And so even I brought this morning. One of the first

things I did was, um, I guess, go on Amazon and I

got me coaching volletball successfully. Um. So I got this book and was,

um, just you can see all my papers and notes through and that

was two thousand and five, and I've coached a lot since then, um

and so, but in that so I got this book and I studied the

book. I met with some local coaches, UM that were in the area,

and Conway coach Conway High School volleyball. I met with that coach and

I talked to her about what she did. She played high school UM,

and so she knew volleyball very well. And and so when I when I

met with her and read through the book, I was, you know,

trying to find out what was the best practices, what did they how did

they set up their lineups, What was the best drills that they do in

practice? What were the best things in defense? Did they play? On

offense? What was the best offense that they played? What systems were the

best? What was at six two? Was it five one? Was a

four two? What did they do and why? And in that in that

kind of studying of these through the book or through this different team, I

was trying to learn how to be what the best practices was for the teams

that I was going to coach. And here's the thing. There's some things

that you want to learn what maybe they're devoted to, but you really want

to learn how do they do it right? What did they do? How

are they successful at doing something? And you know you you've probably done something

very similar in your work for your workplace. You may have done the in

your field. You've may studied different businesses that are in your field and you've

seen what their best practices are, what they've done that successful. May be

their best financial practices. What do they how do they use their money?

How do they how do they make sure they were keeping costs where they needed

to be in presenting a balanced budget. You may have looked at and study

what the best practices for safety, and you may be going through training to

see what are the best practices for safety. You've may look at what's the

best practices for human resources. You may have played sports in high school or

in college. You've made saw the best practices for hitting, or for catching

or for pitching. You've made seen the best practices. Now at home,

you may be look at the best practice for cooking. What's the best way

to broil an egg? I don't know, I mean, you know you've

lived you look at YouTube videos of how to do what's the best practice of

doing certain things? You look at the best practices for cleaning your home,

for decorating your home, for for mowing your grass, how to fertilize your

yard, how to futilize your garden. You do all these different things to

find out what's the best way to do it? Now, I want to

ask you today. We look at these different things for all areas or life,

whether there's coaching, or whether it's things for a home, or whether

it's for our jobs. But if we ever thought about as a church or

as an individual believer, what's the best practices one are the best things that

I do as a believer. Well, as we come to chapter three,

we see Peter, who's one of the John who one of the early apostles,

and we see what they are doing. I think the harsh reality,

just to remind you, is that since COVID, we've lost twenty to thirty

our church in this and we have to think about do we want our church

to grow? Do we want to see new people come into Bethesda. The

early church was growing. They were sawing people come to know the Lord thousands

upon thousands a week, and how did they do it? What were they

doing? What were they doing individually, what were they doing corporately as a

church? As we come to chapter three, we saw we see what they're

devoted to in the end of chapter two. In chapter three as it begins,

we see what they were doing and what led them to have the growth

and what led them to have the salvations in the church. And so this

morning as we come to actually with three less of got the best practices of

the early church practices. Say, let's stand, let's read God's were together

and sap. Chapter three will start at verse one. Will read through verse

ten says now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour

prayer in the night hour, and a man lame from birth was being carried

in whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the

Beautiful Gate, to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and

John about to go into the temple, he asked two received alms, and

Peter directed his gaze at him as John did, and said, look at

us, And he fixed his intention on them, expecting to receive something from

them. But Peter said, I have no silver or goal. But what

I do have I give to you and name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and

he raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were beat strong and

leaping. He stood and began to walk and entering the temple with them,

walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and

praising God, and recognize him as the one who sat beside, who sat

at the beautiful gate of the temple, asking for alms, And they were

filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Let's pray together,

Father, we thank you Lord for this morning. We thank you for

this time. Do you give us to come together and look at your word?

And Lord, we long to see Lord, you do a mighty work

at bethesdam. Lord, we want to see you do a mighty work in

our church. And Lord, as we look at the early church and the

mighty things that you did in that church, Lord, may we examine their

practices today, what they were, what they were doing. And Lord,

I pray that we as a church, and we as individual church members,

would evaluate what are we doing Lord for you, how are we following these

same practices in our life and as a church. And I pray you lead

us, Lord to follow the examples of these early apostles. Lord, we

love you. I pray God today that you would feel this room with your

spirit, you would feel every heart and soul. Lord, with your word.

Lord, May you speak through me. Lord. May Lord you know

I'm a sinner that need Lord your cleansing power in my life today. So

Lord cleanse me. Use me today as your mouthpiece. And Lord, I

pray as you speak today through your spirit. Lord, may you feel every

heart and may you lead them to response. Today in your name, we

pray, Amen, you may be seated. So I want to see the

early church practices, the very first practice. I think it was two practices

that we see in the early Church. Scripture tells us and in verse one,

Now Peter John, we're going up to the temple at the night hour

of prayer. I mean that the hour of prayer, which was the ninth

hour. And so you can imagine here Peter and John are going through the

temple. I think I mentioned to you last week they what were they devoted

to? They were devoted to evangelism. And I mentioned to you last week

that day every day they went to the temple to pray, and they went

to the syn of God. Now you imagine there the sin of God.

There is Judaism. Is is where the Jews are praying. But we know

that they were also devoted to prayer while in gathering in Bible study as the

early Church. And so here you have kind of James and John being a

part of two things. They're part of the assembly of the Church, the

Christians, the believers who believe in Christ. But they're also going daily into

the Synagod to pray. Well, you can almost say why would they do

that? Right, they have the church right there, they have a church

of three thousand. They've got enough needs to take care of. Why are

they going to the synogod to pray. They're no longer following Judaism, They're

now following Christianity. This is the beginning of Christianity. So why would they

continue to go into the Synagod. Well, they very simple answer is they're

going to share the gospel. They're going to do because they know those shoes

don't know Jesus, then those those shoes do not believe in Jesus as a

messiah. So they're going daily to our prayer to build relationships with their Jewish

friends and those in the community, to share the Gospel, to tell them

about that Messiah has come and his name is Jesus. And so Scripture says,

so here they go in verse one, they're going to go share.

And the Bible says, now Peter and John were going up to the temple

at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour, and look at what happens.

The Bible says in verse two, and a man lame from birth was

being carried and whom they laid daily at the gate. Say, as they

go into the temple, they see this man laying there's the scripture describes him

lame, and we're going to talk about his tradition in just a minute.

But I would you look at what the Bible says in verse four. And

Peter directed his gaze at him. Listen to scripture, as did John,

and said, look at us. Scripture says, as they walk into the

temple, Peter scripture, look at the wording here directed his gaze at him.

This word gaze in the Greek is the idea to fix one's eyes on.

It's the same word that's used in a one other time, and it's

used in Acts chapter seven when Stephen is being stoned and as he's stoned,

he gazes into heaven. Scripture says this, but he full of the Holy

Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, Jesus standing at

the right hand of God. Now, if you think about that word gaze

here, this is not a glancing look, right. This is someone who's

intensely looking into heaven as he's being stoned. Right. That's the same imagery

that Scripture uses for Peter to gaze at this crippled man. This was not

a glancing look at this man. He looked into the needs of this man.

I think the first thing that you see, the first practice that you

see in this passage that Peter and John was the first practice as they practice

of compassion. They had compassion on this lane man. Now, if you

think about the word compassion, we see compassion use all throughout the New Testament

through Scripture. In the Greek, the word compassion means to be moved in

the inward parts. It's the idea of being grieved for someone you ever had

that you ever saw a situation and your heart really just broke for the needs.

I tell you just to be honest. When I think of that word

compassion and being grieved for something that's severe, I could think of tell you

so many different stories. But just recently I had a chance to go watch

the movie Sound of Freedom. If you've not seen that, you know me.

I do not promote movies from the pulpit, but I will promote this

one. Everyone needs to watch that movie. You need to see that movie.

But seeing the needs of those children who are being exploited, it listened,

It moved in my spirit. It's not just something oh that's sad,

No, no, no, no, My heart grieves for them. That's

the imagery of this compassion. I think when Peter and John saw this man,

they had compassion on him. I want you to see what they saw

as they gazed at him. By the way, Scripture tells us that Jesus

had this compassion, and Matthew nine thirty six he says when he saw the

crowds, he had compassion for them. It means when Jesus saw people hurting

his heart, there was something within his inward parts that felt compassion for them.

We see that in Matthew twenty he saw the blind, and as he

saw the blind, Scripture says in verse thirty four, Jesus had pity and

he touched their eyes. Something moved inside of him and it led him to

respond. And I think, as we see in this passage, it was

something pulling in the heart of Peter and John. They saw this man and

that compassion on him. And don't just see what they The scripture tells us

about this man. And I want you to see what I believe Peter and

John saw that day number one. It saw a man who was crippled from

birth. Scripture tells us that it is Peter and John were going up to

the temple an hour of prayer, in the ninth hour, and a man

lame from birth was being carried. This was not something for this man.

As they gazed at this man and that compassion and their hearts mood within them

for this man. First thing they saw this man. This isn't this man

that's been suffering for a long time. It's not a man that just fell

upon hard times this last amount, their last year. This is a man

through his whole life, he's been suffering He's lived a life of suffering.

He lived a life that's different than in so many others in this world.

He's been a man has known nothing, has entire life but suffering and being

crippled. They saw him being crippled by birth. Secondly, they saw a

man who was content with the circumstances. Scripture says, look at this passage,

and a manly lame from birth was being carried in whom they laid daily

at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate. This man has not

even crippled his whole life, but his whole life, he's gotten other people

to carry him to the gate called the Beautiful Gate, which is right outside

the temple, and daily he's being carried there in order to do what to

beck, to beg for money. You can imagine his whole life. He's

he's been used to just doing this every day, going this is his way

of life. I can't walk, I get somebody carrying me. I'll come

into the temple and I'll beg there. But he was content with that.

You don't see every day they carrying to him to the gate of the hospital

or to a doctor. There's someone to get help, right he's not being

cared to a place where he can get help. He's getting cared to a

place where he can get money. You know, in John five, you

probably shouldn't know this if you're vin to Bethesda. Very long John chapter five

we see the story of Jesus. And there's a pool. It's called the

pool of what Bethesda. And the Pool of Bethesda was a pool that was

in Jerusalem in this area, and Bethesda means the House of Mercy. And

there was a there was a thought our tradition that said an angel would sweep

down and touch the water, and there would be ripples in the water,

and the first person that was in the water would be healed, And said

there would be those who would be who would those crippled, who would be

gathered around that pool every day, just waiting to see the water ripple and

see the first one that can get in. But this man is not at

the Pool of Bethesda. He's not there looking for healing. He's not at

the doctor's office. Right. He's a man who's content with his circumstances.

His content was suffering, he content with hurting. I believe they they see

this, they see this man is hurting they see this man is I'm suffering

his whole life. They see this man is content with his life. You

know, Brandy's dad always has a statement, um, don't complain about things

you permit. Don't complain about things you allow, you permit in my life

that kind of comes to haunt me at times. Brandy's also picked up that

statement. And right, and I'll be having a headache and I'll say,

man, my head hurts. She said, you take any medicine. I

said no, No, you know, I'm a little hard headed, don't

like to take medicine. Or two good by, and I'll say, man,

my head hurts. What did you take any medicine? When I told

you two hours agod to take medicine? I said, I didn't. Don't

complain what you'll permit, what you'll allow. If it really hurts, you'll

do something about it. Right, Well, this man is suffering, But

listen, let's be honest. He's content with suffering. He's content with where

his life is. He's content with not changing. He's content with suffering and

with hurting. And the last thing which you see, he's content with material

gain. Scripture says in verse two, and the man laid from birth was

being carried in whom they laid at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful

Gate, to ask for alms of those entering the temple. So he knew

he was suffering his whole life. They saw that. They saw that this

man was content with his circumstances. But lastly they knew this man was content

with material gain. What was the solution for the suffering his life? Money

things, materials, temporary fixes, temporarial things. He was totally okay,

which is finding his satisfaction in material gain. A little bit of money will

satisfy me for today, and I'll get a little bit more tomorrow, and

just day by day, I'll live for what I can gain, not forever

a permanent healing. You know what's sadness to think that where was he?

He's at the gate? Where was the gate? It was right outside the

doors of the synagod. It's ou outside where where people went indoorship. It's

outside where truth scripture was there. It was judaism, but still it was

God's word. But he never wanted to go inside. He was just satisfied

with being right outside where truth is. You know, the reality is,

folks, there are those right outside the doors of our church. And they

may not be crippled physically, spiritually, they are and they've suffered their whole

life spiritually, some physically as well. There are those who are outside the

doors of our church, probably a hundred charge from here, or even closer

for some, and they're suffered and they're content with where their life is.

And there are those who are looking for happiness in material gain, and they're

right outside the doors of the church. And let's be honest, they're okay

with being right where they are. And I want you to see what happens

here. For Peter and John, they had compassion for those outside. Here's

the thing we as a church, many times when we think about what will

it take for us to grow our church, we think about what we're going

to do inside, instead of thinking about what we're going to do outside of

those who are not coming in. For Peter and John, listen, they

had compassion for those who are around them. They weren't content they I think

when they gazed and they saw this man, they saw this man was had

suffered his whole life. They saw a man who was content with the circumstances.

They saw a man who was content with materials, and they did something

about it, that compassion for him. They stopped. You know, I

was thinking about this, and I was thinking about my cousin. So you

know that my m my cousin last year, last September, took his own

life last September. His brother called me probably a few months ago, and

his name's Joel. And Joel said, Johnathan, I was driving down the

road and I was going over a railroad track and I just happened to look

down the road track and there was a man that was laying on the track

with his head on the rail. He said. I pulled over from my

car and I ran to the man and he was waiting for the train to

come to take his life. And he says, I can't help to think

how many people drove by and saw him and just kept going. And I

want to just say that to you today, Peter and John said, Scripture

says this man daily was there. They had compassion to stop and say,

what are the needs that are around me? Who is the hurting that is

around me? And who is suffering? Who is content? Who is content

with material gain? And how can I have compassion on them? How can

I look at them. How can I care for them? And I say

that with all love and concern. I can say to you many times we

think about, but doesn't how can we grow our church? How can we

see transformation? How can we see God do a mighty thing? Listen?

It starts just very simply with us having compassion for the people outside the doors

of this church and having compassion to say, I will stop, I will

look, I will look to those and needs that around me. I just

want you to think about that, who's at your workplace, who's cryptal spiritually,

who is at your workplace that is content with their circumstances, not really

knowing God, who's content with finding happiness in the things of this world?

And how are you having compassion on them instead of just saying, you know

what, they've been like that and they'll always be that way. I wonder

how many people walk by that cripple man every day into that temple scriptures we

see in a minute. When they see this, they say, what this

is? The man who what lived gave the people inside the sin of God

knew this man, and they had walked by Peter and John, did not

they have compassion? I think two things I want you to see about their

compassion. Just to tell you quickly about their compassion, was they still had

really concerned for the one. I love this to think about, Peter and

John. Here's a church that's grown from three to from one and twenty to

three thousand plus, and they are swamped. It's caring for a mega church

at this point, but they still stop for the one. They're not too

busy for one person. I encourage you today, have compassion for the one

that neighbor, that waitress, that waiter, that cashier, the man at

the service station, the man that that people did you encounter, Gaze at

them, have compassion upon them. Secondly, I think they followed Jesus an

example of compassion. Jesus had a compassion for the woman at the whale right.

She was called in adultery, been married five times. Jesus didn't say,

oh, she's she's lost. She's a lost case. Man. Look

at her her, look at her life. Now you have compassion on her.

He had compassion for the woman called an adultery. People were literally blinging

stones to throw and kill her, and Jesus was it done with her.

Yet he had compassion for the leper who was covered in sickness and sores,

a castaway, cast out of the city. He was not too far gone

for Jesus. And compassion for the demon possessed son that constantly, constantly was

battling killing himself and self harm. And it was never too complex for Jesus.

Jesus had compassion for him. Folks, her life should resemble Jesus,

that we should have compassion for those around us. By the way he even

had compassion on the cross. Isn't the way he was suffering for the robber

beside him, who would have had a life full of crime that led to

his own execution. Jesus said to what today you'll be with me in paradise.

They had a practice of compassion and then had a practice of sharing.

Jesus, I love this passage scripture. The Bible says that verse four,

and Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, said look at

us, and he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from

them. He expected to receive some money, the Bible says, But Peter

says, I have no silver or gold. But what I do have I

give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk,

and he took him by the right hand and raised him up. Immediately

his feet and uncle's ankles were strong, made strong and leaping. He stood

and began to walk, entering the temple with them, walking and leaping,

praising God. And all the people saw him. That's the people again,

that who would come in. They walked by him. All the people saw

him walk in and praising. Listen, and they recognize him as the one

who who sat up the beautiful gate of the temple asking for alms. And

they were filled with wonder and amazing at what happened to him. I love

what this passage says, Peter says. Listen. Peter says to him silver

and gold I do not have. But what I have I give to you

what in the name of Jesus. You see, Peter and John knew it

wasn't money that was going to satisfy the condition of this man's soul. What

was going to change this man was Jesus. And what did he do.

He gave him Jesus. You see, folks, you say to me passior,

okay, you okay, you you you're right. I need to have

good passion any more. Compassion for the loss. But what do I do?

What do I What do I give to that cashier? What do I

give to that weight? What do I give to my neighbor? What do

I give to my classmate? What do I give to these people that I

see who are hurting that I believe God's put into my life? What do

I give them? I don't have the resources, I don't have the things

that fixed their life. Very simply today, and I want to say this

very clearly, we make it more complex than it as to be. The

very simple thing that you give them, the very simple thing that they need.

It's not your money, not your ability, not your talent. The

very simple thing that's going to change their life is this, very simply,

It's Jesus. And what we need to give them is Jesus. We love

the story. This week we were at camp and they told them we were

focused on a people group that was in Colombia and as the Embra people,

I think is how you say that? And they were talking about a undreached

as people group and not been reached with the Gospel, and as missionaries went

in that they reached them for Christ. And they read that this oneman got

saved. And I think her name was Sabrina. It started with the assa,

we'll go with Sabrina, okay, and so but they led her to

the Lord and listen what she did. She got saved. And you know,

the very first thing she did, she wanted to go home to Columbia

to where her parents were, to tell them about Jesus. And so she

traveled I forget a day or so to get into where her family was.

And you know what she did. She told them stories about Jesus. It

wasn't elaborate gospel preparation. You know, they had to have the Romans road

memorized, and you had to have these three five steps. Nope, nope,

she just simply came and told them of the stories about Jesus. And

you know what they did. They mocked her, They made fun of her.

You know what she continued to do. She continued to tell them about

Jesus so much so they told the story that one day that she left and

she spent a week there. She was really discoursed, she was praying.

She went back home, and some time later she went back to see her

family and she got sick on her way, and so for two days she

stayed in our mom and dad's house sick with a fever and couldn't come out,

and two people in the town and her family kept coming to the house

and asking her when she was going to get better so she could tell them

of the stories about Jesus. They were not believers, they didn't believe,

and they made fun of her. But listen, they still wanted to hear

about Jesus. Can I tell you, folks, what the very simple thing,

if we want to see the practices of the early church that made the

revolutionizer brought to a revival in their churches, it was very simply that it

was church members, it was leaders. It was a church as a whole

had to have practice of compassion, but had a practice of sharing Jesus.

There is power in the name of Jesus. Do you believe that the scripture

tells us we see this in this next little part. We're going to see

in the in the weeks to come and Acts chapter three, when when the

Syna God to Jus or seeing this and they're questioning about what happened to this

man? And like I said, we're gonna see this next week, and

they say, what happened to this man. In verse sixteen of chapter three,

it says, on the basis of faith in his name, it is

the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man. They say, what's happening,

and it says, well, it was the name of Jesus. In

verse four seven chapter four, and it says, when they set them in

their midst, they acquired to him. This is the Jewish sing of God.

Then does a trial, and they bring Peter and John in and putting

them on trial for what they've done by healing this lame man. They asked

them about this in verse seven, and they says, and when they had

set them in their midst, they inquired, by what power or by what

name did you do this? In Verse ten, they says, let it

be known to you, all of you and all the people visual that by

the name of Jesus Christ of nazures them whom you crucified, and God raised

them the dead by him this man and is standing before you. In Verse

twelve, it says, and there is salvation, and no one else where.

There's no other name under heaven given by among men by which we must

be saved. In Verse seventeen and eighteen it says, and say they called

them and charge them in verse eight toom to not to speak or teach at

all. In the name of Jesus. Can I tell you Jesus, Jesus,

Jesus, there's what There's just something about that name. There is power

in the name of Jesus. Folks, we are to have compassion for those

around us, and we need to simply share Jesus with them. I've Probabs

told you this story once before. But me and Brandy next probably in a

week or so. I don't know the date, sir, forgive me Brandy

August fourth will be married thirteen year old. No, twelve years. I

was so excited about adding another year. What not twelve? Sorry? Twenty

two years? Can we pray have compassion on your pastor? Oh well,

I should have wrote that down. Yeah, we were about to celebrate our

our anniversary. But when me and Brandy got married, I mean she she

married for love. She didn't marry for money because I was burked. I

had no job. She was working at a metrol And Christian academy which was

in my home church, and so we were engaged and we were getting married,

but we had no money. She UM. UM. She was working

there. Everyone was just work. I was doing an intern but I was

just part time. And and then as we got engaged, we decided to

leave there and come to Southeastern UM and we again she we were just leaving

where we were. So we had no job, and and I had no

job, and we were just going to go to seminary and UM we were

getting married August fourth, and we were to come start seminary. And I

was going to start seminary in August. And again we had no job.

We didn't know how we're going to get a seminary. We didn't know how

we're gonna pay for a seminary. We didn't know how we're going to live,

how we're gonna pay for our bills. But we just knew that's what

God wanted us to do. Brandy. As you know the story, UM,

Brandy got a job at BCA and UM and began working there. We

got married on the fourth, and she started UM at BC in August thirteenth

of that UM, the day we got back from my honeymoon. UM.

But I was jobless and I was burke. UM. But the good thing

is on August fourth, I went from a zero to having money in the

bank. Why because Brandy had money in the bank. And what's mine,

it's hers, and what's hers is mine. Amen. And I tell you

that because listen. Spiritually, you have nothing to offer those that you encounter.

You have nothing For those who've been crippled, you have nothing to give

them. Those who've content with their circumstances, you have nothing to give them.

Those who who are content will find them happiness. And from things of

this world, you have nothing to offer them. But listen. The day

that you put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, the

power of Jesus Christ came to you on high in the form of the Holy

Spirit. And that spirit dwells within you. That power dwells within you.

And now as you go as an ambassador for Christ, who dwells within you,

listen, you possess the power of Jesus. So when you go and

show compassion, listen, you go with Jesus within you and to power within

you. And that power within you is a power to tell them about Jesus.

And that power is the power that changed you. Listen and can change

them. So, yeah, you may be powerless, but there's something in

you. That is not and it is what Jesus. What does Romans ten

say, the Word is near you? What is it? It's in your

mouth, It's in your heart. That is the word of faith that we

proclaim. Because you've confessed in your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe

in your heart that God raised them of the dead, you will be saved.

For what the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth

one confesses. For a scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not

be put to shame, For there's no distinction between the Jews or the Greeks.

For the same Lord as Lord of all, bestowing on his riches on

all who call upon him. For everyone who calls upon the name the Lord

will be saved. Listen to verse fourteen. How then will they call upon

him? If they've not believed? How are they to believe in him?

And whom they have not heard? How are they to hear without someone preaching?

And how are they preaching less they are? What scent it is written?

How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news? What

scripture says, the Word is near you in your mouth, and then your

heart that word is within you, that's in your heart. Is the truth

of the Gospel. You're not going alone, You're going in the power to

you. And how will they believe unless you walk? Go? Will you

go? I want to close the service with a video. I think I

may have shared this with you before, but it's such a great reminder.

It's a video. I think it's illustrates very well. Someone shares the gospel

and the compassion that this individual have and desires simply just to share Jesus.

It's not elaborate, but it's effective. Why because he has a compassion and

he's faithful. The video is a man by by the name of Penult Penulate

is a is a He's a'm a magician. That's the word I was looking

for. He does his show with Teller. It's called the Penn and Teller

Show. Um. He's famous for his acts. He's has a television show

called Penn and Teller fool Us Um. It's currently on TV now. He

also performed and is performed in Las Vegas. He has one of the longest

headlining shows in Las Vegas and in Las Vegas history. Actually, ten is

a unbeliever. He's agnostic. He does he thinks religion is bad, but

he did a blog many many years ago, and this is a very old

video, but he gives a blog, a video blog of someone who shared

the gospel with him. I want you to hear what he says, so

let's watch this together. He totally disagrees with Christianity, with religion, or

with all that. But what did he say. He cared enough about me

to share. He recognized the compassion that was in that man. I wonder

today, how are you showing compassion to those around you? I play.

I believe this without a shadow of doubt. God's put you where you live

for a purpose. God's put you at your workplace for a purpose. God's

going to send you to the restaurants that you're going to the day for a

purpose. And all around you every step you go, they're gonna be people

who are hurting. And we can be those who continue to walk by,

or we can be people who have compassion who said, you know what,

I was once one of them. I was once lost, I was once

crippled. I was once content with them my own circumstances. I was once

content with material gains. But Jesus has changed me because someone compared enough,

cared enough about me to tell me? And how can I do that for

someone else? I love what he says. They're so powerful, isn't it

that the imagery though? How much you gotta hate someone not to tell them?

If you believe in eternal life, then what tell I think it's important

that we have compassion, but the second component of that we must tell them

about Jesus. So I encourage you today. Let's be people that have the

practice of compassion and the practice of going and telling people about Jesus. Will

you standing with me? We'll have time. Invitation you pray with me Jesus pain to