Acts: Introduction

Well, if you have your Bibles, hope that you do. If you'll

turn with me to the Book of Acts. This morning, we're going to

start a new book study for our church, and something I've been praying about

for some time. Where do we go after Joshua? Well, Joshua told

the story of how the nation of Issuel begin or begun. Well, we

come to the Book of Acts. It tells us the story of how the

early church started. And so I think these are great parallel passages or books

in the Bible, seeing the Old Testament of how the nation started, and

the New Testament see how the church started. And so just really believe the

Lord's leading us to this. And as we look at Bethesda and what God's

called us to do, I think it's important to look at foundational and how

the church started. So I'm excited about starting this with you this morning,

So glad that you're here to be a part of today Today's we're going to

be in Acts chapter one. We'll look at Versus, just the first few

verses here one through three. It's total of my message today is a faithful

testimony heard of. A pastor's name was Greg Huffer. He was in Indiana,

was going through donald stopped at the McDonald's, was going through the drive

through, and after he came to the drive through window, he noticed that

on the lady at the drive through windows she had this really really nice hand

carved cross hanging from her neck. And he said to her, just very

simply, I really liked your cross. And she replied to him with the

simple message a testimony. She says, she said, thank you. She

said, I liked the person who died on the cross from my sins.

She said, now I love the person who rose from the grave after having

died on the cross. You know, she could have very simply just said

that Dave, thank you, gave him his order and went on. But

a simple testimony of saying that she liked the person who died on the cross

from her sins, and that she loved the person who rose from the grave,

died on the cross and then rose from the grave, was a simple

faithful testimony that she gave to people. As I came through the McDonald's window.

As we come to the Book of Acts, we see a gospel writer

named Luke who is giving a faithful testimony. I believe we live in a

day to day that it's important for us to be giving a faithful testimony us

while we're doing a series this month called this is My Story, and we

want you to hear people share their story and inspire you to share your story

and share a simple testimony of what Jesus has done for you. As we

begin the Book of Acts, Luke is writing for this idea. He wants

to share a testimony. He wants to share a message of the early Church,

a testimony of the early Church. As we come to the first few

verses, this one is called it's the Prologue of Acts. And in these

first three verses you see themes that reverberate throughout the Book of Acts. Three

themes that we see, and so we see the purpose of what Luke is

writing the Book of Acts. For I mean, through this first three verses

and so and through it all, he just simply wants to be a faithful

witness to someone. That he's sharing his testimony to a man by the name

of Theophilis. So this is Luke's faithful testimony. And I pray today as

we see the themes of Acts, as we look to what how Luke begins

his book, that it will that you will be inspired of What is my

testimony? How am I being having a simple faithful testimony, just like that

young girl at McDonald's, or just like the writer of Luke simply wants to

be faithful to share, faithful to tell, faithful, to testify. So

let's read. Let's stand and read God's word. Just read the verse three

verses. And I know what you're thinking too, of the verses. Surely

he won't take that long. Well, may not want to get your hopes

up. Acts Chapter one, starting a verse one, and it says in

the in the first book, Oh Theophilus, I have dealt with all that

Jesus has begun to do and teach until the day when he was taken up,

and after given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles on whom he

had chosen, he presented himself a lot to them after suffering by many proofs

appearing to them forty days in speaking about the Kingdom of God. Let's pray

together, Father, I thank you Lord for this morning. I thank you

for the message that you have led us to, the passage that you've led

us to. I thank you for the inspiration of your word that you gave

to Luke to give to Theophilus, and Lord, just as much as he

longed for that faithful message to be given that day, I pray that your

message and your faithful testimony would be given to day of your word, the

truthfulness of your word, then the need that we have to be faithful in

sharing as Luke did. So Lord, lead us through your word today.

Lord, you know what's I've prepared. You know what I believe you've brought

to my mind and my heart early on throughout this week, and what You've

meditated in my mind and heart. So I pray today I'd be faithful to

divide your word, to explain it, to apply it to the hearers to

day. But Lord, I pray that I am nothing without your Holy Spirit

today. So may your Holy Spirit empower me, and may your Holy Spirit

speaks to the heart of people today. Lord, we love you, We

thank you Lord, for today in your name, we pray a man you

may be seated so as he begins this book Um, he says at the

very beginning as chapter one, verse one, in this book, all Theophilus,

as you come to this UM. Luke is addressing his um book here

to a man named Theophilus is great. Um, maybe a little bit of

debate about who Theophilus is. That the name that Theophilus actually means dear to

God, or or near to God or or and so that's the imagery that

someone is dear to God is the name. So someone would suggest, because

the name of Theophilus means dear to God, that, um, this is

talking about believers, just Christians, and that Luke's just writing to other Christians

or other believers. I don't think that's very likely. If you got to

Luke chapter one in verse three and um, and I'll read just the first

few verses of Luke. Luke chapter one, verse one. It says,

inasmuch as many of undertaken to Capola and narrative things that have been accomplished amongst

us, and just as those who from the beginning where eyewitnesses and ministers of

the Word have delivered to us, it seemed good to me, having followed

all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you.

Most excellent theophilis that you may have certainty concerning the things that have been

taught as you come to this book. He describes as Theophilis in Luke when

so as he only wrote the book of Acts of Theophilis. But we understand

by looking at studying Luke, he actually wrote the Gospel of Luke to Theophilis

as well. And so in this a much more detailed greeting at the beginning

of Luke, and you see he describes Theophilist as most excellent Theophilis. That

term most excellence is also seen in Acts. In Acts, he mentions a

Roman official, and he was named Felix. And to describe this the honor

or prestige of being a Roman official, he calls him excellent Felix. So

the same idea he uses to call Felix is the same idea that he uses

to call Theophilis. And so it is believed by most common views amongst scholarship

that Theophilus is some type of Roman official, a Roman centurion who's not a

believer. And Luke is trying to share a faithful testimony to win this Roman

to Christ or went him to the Lord. So he writes the Gospel of

Luke to Theophilus, that Theophilis would hear about Jesus. Now he writes the

book of Acts to Theophilus, that Theophilis would hear about the church in the

start of Christianity, and he really desires to write this faithful witness. You

kind of see that at the very beginning of Luke as you look back the

words, as much as many have undertaken the capollin narrative, he says,

there's many people who've wroten things about Jesus and the things that has happened.

He says, so there's different writings, Lucas saying that's out there about Jesus.

He says, there's from those writings, there are people who are eyewitnesses,

he says. He in verse two of Luke chapter one, he says,

he compiles those it seemed good to me. You have also who have

followen those things closer from some sometime pass So Luke saying, listen, there's

many other books. There's many books written about Jesus's life. There's and all

those of were from eyewitnesses and ministers. He says that eye too was eyewitness,

and I followed all these things closely. Therefore, he says, in

verse three of Luke chapter one, it seemed good to me also have fallen

close from some time past to write an orderly account for you. And listen,

here's the reason why he writes, Luke, and I want you to

hear this, that you might have certainty concerning the things that you have been

taught. I write these things because I want you to know the truth.

I want you to hear the truth. And so that's his desire. He

wants to be a faithful witness. This week, I was me and my

family went to South Carolina, Brandy's families from South Carolina. We went there

just for a few days beginn of the week, and I went to a

little town to have a little running trail and I went there to run.

And after the run, I went to Dollar General to get me a protein

shake. And as I was trying to go through Dollar Journal, as you

know, every no store's the same, right, and so I was trying

to find out this Dollar Journal where they kept the protein bars. And so

I was scanning through Dollar General, skimming through a way, and I came

through this aisle and I saw this lady in this aisle and she had her

purse like on like one of the shelves, and she was doing something with

the purse and it seemed a little strange to me, like what is she

doing? But I thought, you know, maybe she just I don't know,

maybe she was trying to find something in her purse. I don't know.

It just seemed a little weird. But when she saw me and I

saw her, she quickly got the purse off the shelf and she went back

to her business. And so later on I just kind of went through it.

I kind of thought, Mama, was that lady shop lifting? You

know, kind in my mind, maybe what's she doing that? And the

sure enough I went through another all came back and there she was again that

she saw me and I saw her, and she and then she she's she's

one of those things where she was like, oh, I need that,

like I'm shopping that she saw me, and she's like, oh, you

know, like she's looking down to all. And I was thinking, you

know this, something seems a little weird here. And so then I got

to the car. I kind of just didn't think much about it. I

went and got my Founder protein bars and went checked out, went to the

car, got into car. I was trying to open up my protein shake.

I don't know why they make it so difficult to open up a bottle,

and so I was just opening it up that lid, taking a little

safety thing off of it, and all of a sudden, the next thing

I know, there was one lady who was at the check out all behind

me. I don't know what she had, and I noticed who who she

was, and it wasn't the lady that was stuffing stuff in her in her

purse. And so the next thing I know, the lady who was behind

me in the line didn't come out next. It was that lady. I

was like, whoa, you know, I had my date line investigation on

by that point. So I looked her in the eye and I noticed that

she came out she had her purse and she had her purse, and this

was strange to me. I'm giving you all the scoop. She had a

purse and then in her other hand she had a wallet, and I thought,

well, why was the wallet night in the purse? Why was the

purse and then's a wallet one or not? You know? So I thought

she made some room out in that purse. And so sure enough, she

makes her way to her car, she sees me in the car, She

makes her way to the car, and then she gets in the car,

and I was like, I'm gonna see if she starts getting stuff out of

that purse, you know. And so I'm watching her opening up a protein

shake, and then I noticed that she looks over to where I am and

she won't take her eyes off of me, and I thought, she is

waiting to see if I go back into that building, or she's waiting for

me to pull out so I don't get behind her to see her license plate

because she knows I'm datelining right now. So but I thought, well,

you know, I started second guessing myself. Did I really see what I

saw? Did she really do that started doing all this thing? But who

am I to think that I'm to go in there and tell that lady and

the manager or whoever it is. I think that labor shop lifting. So

I second guess myself. I you know, own and own. Maybe I

shouldn't say anything. So I ended up just leaving and the more the next

day, all day, I just thought, man, I really think that

she did something, and you didn't say anything, and because of that,

this lady may do this again, and this shot me, you know,

continue to have problems, and you just kept quiet. And so the next

day, I went on to run to the same place. I went to

the same Dollars General to get my same protein shake. I walked in and

as I went in, I was like, am I gonna say anything?

I'm gonna say anything. I'm gonna say anything, and I said nine nine

nine nine, And finally I was like, I need to say something.

So I got the manager over her and I told her. She said who

she was, what time wasn't And I said, well I found up time.

It's ten forty five. And so I started telling her all the details

that she took down a lot. She said, I'm will get on the

cameras. What does she look like? I told her she had red hair,

and told her, you know everything about her and what time it all

happens. And I gave but I was it was very important to me at

that point to be a faithful witness of the things that I saw, right.

I wanted to set the record straight. That's Luke's heart here. He

has been an eye witness. He's seen the things of Jesus, and he

wants to tell people. He doesn't want to keep things to himself. He

knows people are lost. The Offilus is lost and is headed for Hell,

and he has one who has been entrusted with things that he had seen,

and he must be a faithful witness of those things. And so therefore he

is a faithful witness. He wants to tell several things that you see in

this passage scripture I think is really important to see. At this time there

was a war on Christianity. Christianity was at war from the beginning. If

you go back and Acts, if you go to Acts twenty eight, just

to see a theme that's happened in Acts Acts twenty twenty two. The words

the passage says this, we desire to hear from you what you are your

views are with regard to this sect. For we know that everywhere it is

spoken against Luke because talking about how this sect there is Christianity, and he's

saying throughout the world everyone speaking against Christianity. You've got to think from the

birth of the church here in Acts, Christianity didn't start on a good foot.

The founder of Christianity was Jesus, and he was since to death and

he died on a cross. And so among the world at this time there's

not really a whole lot of belief of I don't know. I really want

to be a part of Christianity. I mean, the one day followed died.

The one day followed, Romans put on their cross out gay Gotha,

and he died. So there was great speculation throughout all of Rome and all

the Jerusalem about Christianity, and it became a problem as serious accusations were coming

against Christianity. So it was under attack from the start, and speculation and

doubts and questions of whether this was really true or even Jesus was really true.

Isn't that same attack happening today? There are people still in our world

today that do not want to believe in Christianity and do not believe, do

not want to believe that Jesus is really true. But listen, not only

that started with an attack against Jesus and against Christianity, but the Jews wanted

to attack the Christians. And we see that throughout the book. There is

this attacks from the Jews who are constantly coming against the Christians. They do

not believe in Jesus, they do not believe in the message of Jesus,

and therefore they want to try to destroy Jesus and his followers. There are

those from the very beginning, who wanted to destroy Christianity. It's interesting I

was reading an article by ken Ham. I don't know if you know ken

Ham. As he wrote, he's the one who's behind the ark in Kentucky.

He wrote, He's part of a thing called Answers of Genesis is a

great ministry. He wrote a book in nineteen eighty seven and it's called The

Lie of Evolution. And this is what he wrote. And I want you

to I'm willing to read just a few things of what he said because I

think it's important for you to hear. This is he wrote this in nineteen

eighty seven, this is many many years ago, and this is what he

says. There is a war in society Christianity versus humanism. For a few

Christians realize that that the essence of conflict lies firmly at the foundational leaven level,

creation versus evolution. He says these words. There are challenging days as

on a whole society has become more and more anti Christian. We are seeing

steady increase of homosexuality, support for abortion on demand, unwilling to obey authorities,

unwilling to work. Marriage is being abandoned, clothing being abandon increasing pornography,

and a creasing lawlessness. But just to name a few areas, and

Christians are fighting for freedom even in so called Christian nations. Again, this

was written July first of nineteen eighty seven. He says, what's happened in

society to bring about these changes? Why is that many people are so cynical

when you talk about Christ and seemed to be closed to the Gospel. There

must be some foundational reason for this change. In this book, and he's

talking about his book, The Live Evolution, we will discover the basic reasons

why modern society has turned away from Christ more importantly biblical, more important,

a biblical way to reclaim the lives of our saviors to be outlined for you.

Years ago, our society was based on Christian absolutes. People knew what

was right and what was wrong. Behaviors of sexual deviancy, easy divorced,

public lawlessness, abortion on demand, pornography and public nudity were considered lawlessness,

and abortions on demand I mean I'm sorry was considered to be wrong. Varying

punishments for offended were married at out by society and values and judgment were basically

built on biblical principles. Most people accepted and respected a belief in God.

Recently, more and more people rejected the God of the Bible as a belief

in God, and God has been abandoned, and people have questioned the basis

of society in which they live. For instance, if there's no God,

then why do they obey the Ten Commandments? Why should anyone say that homosexuality

is wrong? Why would women be barred from having abortions when they desire?

Once people eliminate God from their consciousness, they're about to they set about to

change any laws based upon Christian absolutes that held God as a creator of everything

shritten in nineteen eighty seven. I say that to see I want you to

see this. From the beginning of the Church, Christianity was at war.

There was a war of those who did not want to believe that Christianity or

Jesus was true from the beginning and still today that war rages on. From

nineteen eighty seven to two thousand, I mean twenty twenty three, the war

continues of Rachel and Lessen. The world will never end. There will always

be those who want to deny and destroy Christianity and truth. So what is

the answer. How do you combat this ensough it or this attack or this

war. What Luke gives us the answer, how do you do that truth?

You are faithful to tell the truth. Luke writes to Theophilus, who

saw the war that was raging against Christian Christianity, who saw the tax against

truth, that at tax against Jesus, And Luke wants to write an orderly

eyewitness account that Theophilus may hear truth and believe. Can I say to you

believers Christians today, in a world today more than ever, you and I

need to know, believe and be able to share what is truth. And

we can only do that by knowing the Bible and sharing the Bible. That's

what Paul, That's what Luke says here and look Away says on the first

book, all the offense has dealt with all the things and said, here's

the testimony. He's given the truth. He's given the truth about Jesus,

all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken

up. After he has given commands to the Holy Spirit, to the apostles

whom he had chosen, he presented himself alive to them after suffering by many

prousts, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God.

He says, on the first book, I told you about all the

things Jesus did and how he continued to do that that was the truth.

The offeless. I know that people are saying that Jesus was not real.

I'm telling you in the first book, I showed you Jesus was truth.

The offelics believe truth. He was faithful in sharing truth. Secondly, and

I need to move fast here, he was faithful to share a testimony of

power. It's a testimony of truth, but it's a testimony of power.

Look at verse two. Until when Jesus was taken up, he had given

commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles and whom he had chosen in the

Book of Acts. You see this theme a theme of truth. He wants

to give a first hand record of the things that happen in the church and

the things that Jesus and the apostles did. But it's also a testimony of

power. As you go to verse two, he says he talking about Jesus

that when Jesus was taking up he had given commands. What through it says

the Holy Spirit to the apostles. Jesus walked in the power of the Holy

Spirit. He did miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit. We see

all the things that Jesus did. He healed the blind, he healed the

lame, he healed the leper, he resurrected Lazarus. He did all things

by the power of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus did things in that power.

When he commissioned his apostles to go out in the towns, what did

they do? They also did things in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Right here we see in just a little bit the coming of the Holy Spirit

at Pentecost, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers,

and how that radically changed the world. Some would say, as you look

to the Gospels, you saw the acts of Jesus, or you saw the

things of what Jesus did while he was on earth. Of testimony of Jesus,

the life, death, bury, or resurrection of Jesus, all of

the acts of Jesus. Some say, when you come to the Book of

Acts, you see the acts of the Holy Spirit. You see how the

power of the Holy Spirit comes upon ordinary people, and how that power comes

in them, and they were able to do things that they could not do

in and of their ordinary strength. You know. The word Roman says this,

how it was declared Romans one four and says and was declared to be

the son of God in power to the Holy Spirit of holiness by the resurrection

from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ. The word power there is the word

that dunamus is where do where we get dynamite something dynamite something something in a

small package. It looks kind of ordinary, but as great power. You

know, for these disciples, the package was not great. It didn't look

great on the outside. Peter was one who denied Jesus three times, who

fell Jesus in his most important time of his life. But God anointed him

by this power of the Holy Spirit. And God used Peter to bring thousands

as a boon, thousands of people to the Lord. You see Thomas,

who was so passionate and I'm not believing in Jesus, but at same Thomas,

the Holy Spirit would feel and God would use him. We see the

power of Stephen and power so many others in acts of how this power,

the dynamite power the Holy Spirit feels a believer and radically does things in a

believer that they could not do in and of their own strength. Luke wants

to you to see a testimony of truth, but he wants you and I

to see a testimony of power believers who are empowered by the Holy Spirit.

You know, you may be here today as a believer or maybe even unbeliever,

and you feel like, you know what, I'm just an ordinary person.

There's no way God could use me greatly? Can I tell you?

You may be just an ordinary person, but there is a power that is

within you. Scripture says, that's a dynamite Holy Spirit power, and God

can do things in you that are unexplainable if you will listen, if you'll

let him, if you're surrendered to him. And today, as we'd start

beginning to look through the Book of Acts, we're going to see the testimony

of the power of the Holy Spirit. Lastly, want you to see the

testimony of the Kingdom of God. He says, here as he presented himself

alive to them after suffering many proofts and appearing to them during the forty days,

is speaking about the Kingdom of God. As you see the apostles empowered

by the Holy Spirit, they go and their witnesses and they share the Gospel

to the ends of the earth. They start in Jerusalem and then they branch

out and they go missionary journeys, as we saw Paul and Barnabas go through

all different places sharing the Gospel with people in the power of the Holy Spirit.

But there was a key message or a key testimony that they shared,

and that testimony they shared was the coming Kingdom of God. And Luke and

all the gospels Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God, and I'm not of

this kingdom, I'm of another kingdom. But when he talked about his kingdom,

he would say is kingdom was not yet, it had not come yet.

But in those times where he was leading up to the cross, he

says, my time is what not yet come, but my time is coming.

And the disciples understood that the coming Kingdom of God was the death,

barrel and resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, was buried

in the grave and rose from the grave, that that was the coming of

the Kingdom of God. That was coming of Jesus's kingdom on earth. And

so the message as the apostles came out and shared, they said, listen

to Jesus that you heard. He has come, He was the Messiah,

and his kingdom hath come right now. Today you can receive Jesus Christ as

your Lord's Savior. You can be forgiven of sins, you can put your

faith in what He did for you on the cross, and today you can

be received into His kingdom today. But there was another message, another aspect

of the Kingdom of God. There was a Kingdom of God, aspect that

has come now through the death, barrel and resurrection of Jesus. But there's

another part of the kingdom, and that's the not yet and that the Kingdom

of God is not yet complete in this, that Jesus will come again.

This is what they would say. And throughout scripture we see in Luke twenty

four. And he opened up their minds of scripture, and he said to

them, thus has written Christ should suffer, suffer, and on the third

day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgivenesses sins should be proclaimed

to his nations and to all nations. From beginning of Jerusalem so that's the

imagery that Christ's kingdom had come. We see in Acts seventeen, as he's

speaking to Cornellus's house, he's sharing the gospel, sharing the Kingdom have come.

And then he ends with this, He says, because He's fixed the

day in which he will judge the world by righteousness, by a man whom

he is appointed. And of this he has given assurance to all by raising

him from the dead. Acts ten forty two says, and he commanded us

to preach to the people to testify that he's the one appointed by God to

be judge of the living and the dead. You know, for the apostles,

as this passage is declared just as sure as a sign that Jesus ascended,

that was a sign that just as he ascended, he would come again.

And as a result, there was an urgency for the apostles that the

message must get out. The Kingdom of God is here, and a Kingdom

of God is coming. You and all the people the world must hear because

he is coming. There was a man he his name was Kumar. He

was from India. He been asked to share the gospel through the Billygram Evangelistic

Association was doing a series and he was in southern India. He was aggrieved

because he had asked thirteen people to come to his house there this um broadcast

from Billy Graham on December twenty third, and all thirteen people did not.

No one showed up, no one said they would have come. See.

He began to pray, and about nine pm at night, he felt compelled

to invite his wife's sister and her family to come watch that the next night's

broadcast. The family had no phone, so Kumar asked the neighbor to bring

the phone to them for an urgent message. And when his brother law Satish,

I think it's how you say his name, reached the phone, Kumar

said to him, would you catch a bus to the city and come Um?

Satis said, I have no money. I can't I can't come.

Kumar says, Um, why don't you borrow money from the home to the

person you came from for tickets and I will give you money, but when

you come to give to pay him back. So satis Um agreed and at

four am he and his family boarded the bus for a long trip to Kumar's

house. They rise the next day at five p him an hour later,

they watched My Hope telecast telecasts of Billigrams Evangelists Association. Afterwards, Kumar stood

up and he shared the testimony of how he put his faith in Jesus Christ.

After he shared his testimony and he asked them if anybody wanted to put

their faith in Christ. He said that everybody was just looking at each other

and Kumar wondered why did Satis said, noticeably distressed, He explained that he

had lost his job at the t factory because it had closed. The company

was demanding that the family vacate their company own home and seeing no hope,

now, remind you this is the twenty third of December. Seeing no hope,

the family decided on December twenty fifth they were all going to commit suicide.

Now they saw the hope that was in Jesus, so they prayed and

received Christ. Satis became a new man. After several staying several more days

with Kumar, the family returned home, ready to face a future with Christ.

You know, Kumar's story is sati story is a lot like the story

of Acts. For those apostles that day, those apostles in the early Church,

they believe it's their urgency to the message. The Kingdom of God was

here. There was a hope for people that were here today. The Kingdom

of God was coming, and it could just be in a few days from

now. There was an urgency the testimony of the Kingdom of God must go

out. Can I share with you today, church, family, friends,

those who are watching today today, it's just the same day as was for

um Kumar. There is an urgency that the message of the Gospel go out.

The Kingdom of God has come, but the Kingdom of God is coming.

May we be believers who say there is a war against Christianity, and

I must be an ambassador to tell the truth. I must go, not

in my own power, must go and the power of the Only Spirit.

And I must go with the testimony that the Kingdom has come. There is

hope in Jesus, and the Kingdom of God is coming again. And we

must go and tell. Would you pray with me? Father? I thank

you Lord for this morning. I thank you for your word, or I

thank you for the example that we see through Looke. Can his desire for

theophilis what I know. There's people all through this room today that have a

heart and a burden for lost loved ones and friends and co workers. And

Lord, I pray that we would have an urgency as Luke did, to

be faithful, to share truth, to be faithful, to go in power.

Lord, not our power, not our strength, but Lord, be

empowered by your Holy Spirit to speak. And Lord, I pray today that

God our testimony would be Lord, that the kingdom has come. There is

hope in Jesus and there is a coming kingdom. Lord, you are coming

again to complete your coming. Or I pray that we would have a boldness

Lord to go and tell Lord lead us in this time of invitation. I

pray, Lord, you know what you've spoken to the harsh, your people,

and more. I pray that those need to come and pray the altar.

I pray they would do that. Or if those that you lead,

Lord, I can pray with to day, I pray you do that.

Pray. There's someone one here today that doesn't know you as Lord and Savior,

who are a lot like that family, who feel like they do not

have hope today, I pray they would find hope in the in your son

Jesus today by putting their faith in you, Lord Jesus. Lord, we

love, you lead us in this time, and in your name we pray Amen.