Let’s Go | Acts 3

You're listening to the Bridgetown Church Podcast with

Pastor Casey Kendall, where our vision is Jesus, our mission is

people, and our cause is love. Thanks for tuning in.

Let's dive in. Acts Chapter 3.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

If you have your Bible. Handy Acts Chapter 3.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

One of my favorite Bible stories that I want to.

End the year with. And go into the new year

rejoicing and thanking God for what he's doing.

The Bible says now Peter and John, if you could just say

Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of

prayer. It was the 9th hour.

And a certain man, lame from his mother's.

Womb was carried, whom they lay daily at the gate.

Of the temple which is called beautiful.

It's ironic that they would call the temple of this.

This gate of the. Temple beautiful even though

this. Man.

Faced a very difficult circumstance.

They put what was. Broken in front of what was

beautiful and the Bible. Says that this man would be by

this gate. Of the temple which is called

beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple.

Who? Seen Peter and John.

Can you just say Peter and John? About to go into the temple, ask

for alms and. Fixing his eyes on him with

John, Peter said look at us. So he gave them his attention,

expecting to receive something from them.

And then Peter said, Silver and gold I do not have.

That's might be how you feel after Christmas.

Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you in

the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Rise up and. Walk.

And he took him by the right hand, and he lifted him up, and

immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength.

And so he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple

with them, walking, leaping, and praising God.

And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and

then they knew that it was He who sat begging alms at the

beautiful gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder

and amazement at what had happened to him.

Jesus, we ask and pray that our eyes would be awestruck by your

beauty, that our heart would be aligned with your will, that our

ears would be attentive to your voice.

Jesus, would you be glorified in this place through the preaching

of your word. Lord, we commit ourselves to you

and we pray this now in Jesus name.

And everybody said, Amen, you may be seated this morning as

you're sitting next to your neighbor.

If you would just look at your neighbor and say this as we

always do here at Bridgetown, neighbor, my neighbor.

Let's go, let's go. Now some of you are thinking.

Let's go to lunch. Some of you are thinking, let's

go to brunch. I want that to be our posture as

we exit out of 2025 and into 2020. 6 is let's go.

My friend out in Redlands, he says this to me all the time.

He loves this saying so much. He put this on the back of his

cars on his license plate with a black plate.

And yellow riding it says let's go and that's.

What I want to talk to you about as we close out 2025, these two

words of let's go. And I believe it's important

that we understand and how we're beginning this new year and how

we're ending this old year. Do you know it was Sebastian

Bach when he would write his music on his transcripts of his

music that at the top of the page he would put in Latin 2

letters JJ at the beginning of the music.

It meant Jesus help me and then at the bottom of his music, Bach

would put the letters SDG, which stood for for God alone receives

the glory. And I believe we can enter into

this new year putting JJ Jesus help me.

We could close out this old year by saying for God alone receives

the glory. If that's going to happen, we're

going to have to live out these this term of let's go.

I was reading this quote by George W Cecil that he wrote

that on the plains of hesitation bleach the bones of countless

millions who at the dawn of victory sat down to wait.

And waiting they died. I want to ask you a question in

regards to the statement of let's go is will you really be

all in for this as we close out this old year and enter into

this new year? Will you be all in for going

then we would be like Isaiah that says to the Lord, here am I

send me now. I want to define if I can, the

definition and the mission of someone who's all in and they're

ready to go. If you take note, if you would

just write this down, if you would type this into your phone,

if you would have the liberty to write some things in your Bible

today, I want you to write down this definition in this term of

us being all in and ready to go. And that is number one, that

we're going to be fully consecrated and committed to the

task of following Jesus. We're going to be people who are

fully consecrated and committed to the task of following Jesus.

Write down this definition. If you take note #2 to be all in

and let's go and posture. We're going to give or be

prepared to give all of our energy, all of our effort, all

of our resources, and all of our reach towards Jesus Christ.

Once again, we're going to be prepared to give all of our

energy, all of our effort, all of our resources, and all of our

reach towards the person of Jesus Christ.

So I asked you again, will you be all in to go?

Will you be all in to go? I read you the story before, but

I want to read it to you again. A century ago, a band of

missionaries had gathered together and they knew that

going down to the South Pacific for them meant that they would

surely die. So this group of young men and

young women, they all purchased one way tickets and to prepare

for their arrival, they didn't pack bags to be shipped

suitcases. They packed their own coffins.

This was how serious they were about the mission and the task

that was set before them. So much so that AW Milne, A

missionary going into the South Pacific, knowing full well of

the multiple dangers that he was approaching on this trip, he

packed his own coffin and he served in a village in the South

Pacific for 35 years. He loved this village.

He committed himself to this village.

He left all the comforts of home and he went to where God had

called him to. And the moment that he died, the

villagers all gathered together and they buried his body right

in the middle of the village. In this they inscribed these

words upon his tombstone. They said when he came there was

no light here, but when he left. There was no darkness here.

Will you be all in as we end the new old year and enter in to

this new year? Because there's a danger for

every single one of us is that we do buy into the gospel, but

we really never sell out for the gospel.

And we begin to believe that God's desire is to send us to

easy places and to begin to do safe things for the glory of

God. When we begin to think that

faithfulness is just holding down the Fort rather than

radically advancing the Kingdom of God, we begin to believe that

in our lives that it is the insurance plan that God has

called us to rather than the dangerous plan.

That God has called. Us to and we begin to see

sacrifice no longer as a privilege.

We now see it as a burden. And I believe what we call

radical Christianity in the West is normal Christianity in the

book of Acts. I think we've navigated so far

away from what radical actually means that we've now become

called to what is comfortable and called to what is simply

complacent. Do you see?

Jesus didn't die to keep you safe.

Jesus died to make you dangerous.

Jesus died purchasing you upon the cross, paying for the

ultimate price for your sin. Where it's not just us holding

down a Fort, it is actually us storming the gates of hell.

And I believe now, as we end out 2025, that we would understand

that God is looking for the complete radical surrender of

each of our lives. That we would prepare our lives

to arrive into heaven sliding with a dust of glory behind us.

I think it's important that we understand that the purpose of

life is not to arrive safely at your death.

I think the purpose of our life is for us to live in such a way

that we're willing to go all in and all out and all for the

glory of Jesus. If I could put it a little bit

more bluntly, it's time for us to pack our coffins.

It's time for us to understand that Jesus hasn't come for you

necessarily for you to chase after your dreams.

He's called you to pick up a cross.

So much so that the Bible says the call of God in the New

Testament in Luke Chapter 9, verse 23, says that whoever

Luke 9:23

wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their

cross and follow me. Do you see Mark, Jesus said the

same thing in the chapter 8 verse 34.

Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.

It was the Apostle Paul that would say the same thing.

In Galatians chapter 2 verse 20, he says I've been crucified with

Galatians 2:20

Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

Do you see the radical approach is found in Romans chapter 12

Romans 12 · chapter mention

verse one, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice.

Now there's only three people in all of the Bible that were ever

called to present their bodies as a living sacrifice.

The first one, if you're taking note, was a young man by the

name of Isaac in the book of Genesis.

He was living when Abraham put him on that altar.

The second person who was living was a man, the God Man, Jesus

Christ, who would die on the cross.

The third person is you. Can I ask you a question?

How often are you squirming off? The altar.

That you're supposed to be. Putting your life down on.

How many times do you shy away from being all in?

I love what one man said, he said.

The world. Is yet to see what God will do

with and for and through and in. To the man or the.

Woman who is fully and wholly consecrated to him.

So this is what I'm praying for this old year as we leave in the

new year, as we approach, I'm praying for faith.

I'm praying that God. Instills faith in you.

And he brings the faithful out of you.

I'm asking God to do something in all of our lives that we with

open hands. Would say to the Lord, here we

are Lord, here we are send. Us.

Yes, we do want to put butts in the seats to come and worship,

but we want the butts to get off of the seats and be witnesses.

In the world that are around us. Yes, we want to go and come and

sing your praises on Sundays. But.

Lord, may we be the best witness in front of that server when we

leave this place. May we be full of tact and truth

and love when we're driving down the road.

Lord, would you make us a witness?

Because if we were to be truthful today, all of us are

either a missionary or a mission fields, and we're either taking

the approach to life, no matter where we're at or where we're

going to be to allow people to transform us or we are going to,

through the power of Jesus, transform them.

And I believe it's true of us that we cannot be moved or we

cannot see people move towards Jesus unless we're first moved

towards Jesus. I believe that if we want to see

a broken world made whole, we first have to be those broken

people. I believe if you're really going

to give your life out, you have to become someone who's all in.

As you know, as we come to the book of Acts.

Acts, the book of Acts is written by a man by the name of

Luke. Luke wrote the book of Acts and

many times when it comes to the book of Acts, we read this like

miracle after miracle after miracle after miracle is

happening in the book of Acts. But these chapters written by

Luke happen over a 40 year time span.

So when you're reading about all the miracles that God is doing

through the book of Acts, these 28 chapters are written over 40

years. That means that there might have

been a day where there wasn't necessarily a miracle recorded.

That might mean that there were some mundane days for the

disciples. There were ordinary days for the

disciples, but there were also in these ordinary days that they

would act upon what God has given to them.

Notice the title of the book of Acts.

If you turn in your Bible to that bold heading, it says that

it's the Acts of the Apostles. The word apostle in your Bible

means sent one those who are sent by the Lord.

Do you know that that your God is a missionary God?

Do you know your God is a missionary God?

In the Trinity itself, the Father sent the Son, the Son

sends the Spirit, and the Spirit sends.

You into the world. This is the axe of the sent

ones. Just.

Look at your neighbor and say I'm sent not, not like I smell

good. I, I, I, I'm actually going to

leave this building and I'm, I'm sent by the Lord to do something

for his glory. Notice the word above the, the,

the apostles is this is the Acts of the Apostles.

Notice it doesn't say this is the awareness of the apostles.

A lot of us come to church and we're aware of the presence of

God. This is not the awareness of the

apostles. This is not, notice this, the

knowledge of the apostles. I've met many people who are

knowledgeable about the Bible. They they have doctrine that's

all orderly, but their life is disorderly.

I've met people that have a so hyper knowledge of the three

things of scripture that they have so much information that

they've become cold and graceless in their approach.

Notice this. This is not the knowledge of the

apostles. Now notice, awareness and

knowledge is not bad. We need that, but it has to have

its proper place. Notice this is not the

intentions of the apostles. The apostles weren't going well.

I meant to do that. I intended to do that.

No, no, no. Listen, this is the Acts of the

Apostles. The Acts of the Apostles are

things that they did because of who Jesus is.

The Acts of the Apostles were things that they accomplished

not in their power, but by the Holy Spirit, supernatural power

moving through natural bodies and lives.

The Acts of the Apostles was the obedience.

Of the apostles. I had a friend I was meeting

with two weeks ago. He asked me this question.

He says what does. Obedience look like.

For you in this situation. According to the Bible, what

does obedience look like for you in 2020?

6. What does obedience look like?

Is it for you to? Stay Is it for you to go?

Is it for you to to go to Cambodia?

Is it for you to go to Africa? Is it for you to to reach out to

your boss? What?

What does obedience look like for you in 2026?

According to the call of God on your life, notice this.

After the ascension, the actions happened.

When Jesus ascended, he sent the Spirit of God, and in the.

Spirit of God filling the child of God.

The child of God, because of the Spirit of God, was able to obey

the word of God and do the work of God.

All right, that was a good spot for an Amen that just flew right

over. So let's just go over this God.

Came into a place, he revives the disciples, the revivals

happening in the city, the growth of the church is

spreading the Bible. Says and in.

That God decentralizes the church and he decentralizes the

church through persecution, and people are going out.

So just understand can I give? You a word picture?

We're not. Called to be dirt clots.

We're called to be dust. I love to gather.

I just want to be in a bubble of Christians and I just want to be

stuck together and we are loyally knotted.

But there's a time and a. Place where we have.

To go we got to spread out with the gospel of Jesus Christ and

you are. Called to.

Be a missionary, that amazing missionary Lisa.

All right. You guys are tired today.

I get it. It's.

Christmas Listen. God.

Doesn't need a lot of people, he just needs some people who are

madly in love with him, people who are willing to do something

that looks radical on the outside, but it's actually

normal obedience to them on the inside.

So can I just encourage you as you enter into 2026, can you

just write this down because you're going to need this when

you face? This year.

God uses unlikely people. Can you just write that down?

God uses unlikely people. Notice the Bible says now Peter

and John. These are unlikely people.

God. Uses unlikely people, these

Peter and John. They went together for the hour

of prayer and notice. This the Bible says that as they

were. Going to this hour of.

Prayer, they came to this. Gate called beautiful.

And there was this man sitting by the gate.

Lame. He couldn't.

Walk God uses unlikely people notice to these names.

They're representing Peter and John.

Peter had a big mouth. John had a big heart.

He's using unlikely people. They were both Peter and John

Stinky. Poor.

Fishermen who are called by Jesus.

Mark Chapter. One you can read about it in

verse 16 through 20 Peter. Would take up a sword, and John

would lay his. Head on Jesus's chest.

He uses unlikely. People they were different by.

Nature and. Temperament.

Peter was a doer. And John was a dreamer.

Notice these? Unlikely.

People, Peter was a motivator. And John was a Mystic.

Peter had his feet in the water, and John had his heads in the

clouds and notices. Peter would deny Jesus.

John would depend upon Jesus. These were normal men who were

called by Jesus to do abnormal things off of the power and in

the power of the Holy Spirit. If you want to read a little bit

more about Peter and John, write these verses down.

If you take note, Acts chapter 4 verse 13, Acts chapter 8 verse

Acts 4:13 Acts 8:14

14, Matthew chapter 17 verse one, you can come up to me

Matthew 17 · chapter mention

afterwards and get all these Matthew 26 verse 37, John

Matthew 26:37 John 13:23–25

chapter 13 verse 23 through 25, John chapter 20 verse 2 through

John 20:2–9

9, and Galatians chapter 2 verse.

Galatians 2 · chapter mention

Nine, that they're constantly together.

Peter and John and these men who are notice this, we look at them

as superhero Saints. We're just unlikely people for

God to use. Now, if I'm the Lord, I'm not

necessarily picking the poorest people or the smelliest people

or the fishermen during that time.

I just wouldn't do it. I I would want to use like a

celebrity. I would want to use.

Someone of royalty. So someone who has already a

name for themselves. But when you already have a name

for yourself, it's hard to provoke the name of Jesus.

When you become so focused on who you are and what you do, you

cannot fulfill the mission of God because the mission is

simply about you. So God chose people who were

broken and hurting. God chose unlikely people who

found themselves in a place where they would now be paired

together for the glory of God. Can you imagine Sabrina and Matt

and Rude and and Chris all being paired together for the glory of

God? These these are spots.

Where you say Amen at least once.

Can Can you imagine? Can, Can you imagine Ryan and

Steve being paired together? Dora and Tony being paired

together? Sergio and Ryan Marquez being

paired together, Shannon and Linda Condellario and Rudy,

Michelle and Henry. I mean, whoever thought of that,

right? God did he put it all together

for his glory because God is using unlikely people.

Do you see the motto of your life is not I can never.

The message of the gospel is God can't so stop your excuses here.

Here's the excuses I've used throughout my life.

I'm too young for this Lord. I'm too young.

I I remember being invited on to to come on staff at a church

and, and and the the the older folks were.

Looking at me going. Can we talk to someone older

than you now? I don't have hair and I'm older

now. People say, Can we talk to

someone younger than you? But this was my excuse back in

the day. I'm too young for this.

God, I, I could never do this. How about this one?

I don't know if you've ever used this one.

I'm too old for this. I'm too old.

God, I can't keep up with this church.

It's too much bass in here. It's too loud.

God, God, I don't know if I can do hospitality.

I don't. I'm just too old for this.

How about this one? I don't know if you've ever used

this one. I'm too hurt to do this.

I'm too hurt. And because of my hurt, now I

don't do anything for the Lord. Listen, how?

How about? This one I I'm too bitter to do

this now. I'm too bitter.

Is the excuse. Listen, I'm too comfortable

right now in the season of my life.

I'm too poor. I'm too rich.

Here's what I honestly believe is we've got enough of Jesus to

be informed, but not enough to be transformed by him.

Billy Graham used to tell the people in his his evangelistic

crusades, you have enough of Jesus to be inoculated with the

Gospel. You have enough.

Of it to cause you not to fully surrender to the Lord.

And here's what happens is because I don't feel good about

it. We don't get up, we don't take

up and we don't lift up the name of Jesus.

God uses unlikely people in unlikely places in an unlikely

time. Whoever thought we would have

ever been in the city of Glendora?

I was aiming for. Pasadena.

God was aiming for a. Whole nother area.

And God is. Calling you right now to step in

and to step up into the area he wants for you.

But how do you? Do this.

Write this down. This is going to be a long

sentence. Write this down.

We must marry. Our exuberant passion of

worship. To a.

Daily discipline in our ordinary.

Routine. How do?

I surrender myself to be used by God.

Is this We must marry our exuberant passion of worship to

a daily discipline in our ordinary routine.

Notice this now. Peter and John went up together

to the temple. Where were they going?

Let's. Go.

Let's rewind real quick. Peter and John, we're on their

way to the temple. This was a Jewish temple.

And they? Were on their way at the hour of

prayer. This is the 9th hour.

Write this in your Bible. They were going to pray at 3:00

PM. This is the time where American

citizens are taking a nap. 3. PM And they're going to the

temple. Notice this to pray notice Peter

and John. All that they were doing is they

were walking up to the temple at the hour of prayer.

They engaged in their life in the ordinary discipline of

communication to God, and they went to the temple at the hour

of prayer. At 3:00 PM, they're exiting into

their house, out of their house and into the city.

Now back in the Book of Acts, there was a prayer meeting that

shook the house. This is not this time.

This. Is this is at 3:00 PM, these men

are getting up and going to a place for a prayer meeting.

There's no recorded manifestational fire and wind

that's happening in the place. They're just going to the temple

for prayer there. There is no concert happening.

There's no greeter at the temple door.

There's no one holding a sign that says welcome home.

There's no hospitality on the table.

There's no screens that are now posted up for you to sing the

songs of lyrics. It is all in this moment where

they're coming down to all of this.

At 3:00 PM, they're doing what is regular in their life and

they are going to pray. At 3:00 PM, someone.

Once said. Show me your church.

Not the Sunday. Gathering not how many people

come to the concert at your church?

Show me your church. Show me your prayer meeting.

Prayer is. Normally the last.

Thing that we want to do. Prayer is not.

Entertaining prayer is not something that's not sexy, it's

not attractive, it's not the cool thing, it's not advertised.

Prayer is something in your life that's a spiritual necessity,

and it was a necessity of the early church.

So watch it. If you want the outpouring of

God's Spirit, you must marry your exuberant passion of

worship to your daily routine and disciplines.

And in doing so, you're going to see the expansion of the Church

of God. I love this about the pattern of

Jesus. After ministering to the

multitudes, Jesus didn't make himself popular in the place.

He went away by himself to be with His Father.

Did you see this is the true thing that happens in our lives.

The public power is birthed in private discipline.

It was the disciples that they would say to Jesus in the Gospel

of Luke Chapter 11. Lord teach us how to preach.

Luke 11 · chapter mention

Lord teach us how to cast out demons.

Lord teach us how we can multiply the food and feed

thousands of people. And you know they.

Said Jesus. Teach us how to pray.

The real work is the end prayer and I believe the difference

between success and failure. It's not going to come down to

the level of your passion. It's going to.

Come down to the level of your discipline.

I believe. That in your life right now.

This is a discipline that we are called to make because we're

called to be disciples. We're called.

To be the. Ones who will follow after Jesus

no matter the opinions of people, the comments on

Instagram or what people. Might.

Say to you, or through you or behind you, we're called to

follow Jesus Christ, and that means they'll be.

Moments of great passion. But there's also.

Moments that you need great discipline.

You see? Christianity is filled with.

Discipline. And I just want to.

Read you a few. Of these if I if I can, the the

disciplines, the spiritual. Disciplines of Orthodox

Christianity, if you want to write them down.

This is what the Bible calls us to live out Prayer.

The Bible calls. Us to live out meditation.

Now, that doesn't mean you sit with your legs.

Crossed and you're humming. That's Eastern meditation.

That that is you emptying. Your thoughts Biblical

meditation is you filling your mind and your.

Thoughts with God's truth. Meditation.

Notice this There's a discipline of the study of Scripture.

In Orthodox Christianity, there's a.

Simplicity of life. In Orthodox Christianity,

spiritual discipline means you lived a surrendered life.

In Orthodox Christianity, you're going to have solitude and

quietness in your life in. Orthodox Christianity and

spiritual. Discipline is service to others.

It's the confession of your sins.

It's seeking wise counsel. It's giving thanks.

It's worship. It's sacrificial giving.

It's fasting, it's denying and declaring and depending wholly

upon God. Did you see in this moment these

men lived out the spiritual discipline in their lives?

Do you know how trees grow fruit?

Let. Me ask that.

Again, do you know how trees grow fruit?

Do they grow? Fruit because they're

passionate. No, no, no.

Trees grow fruit not because of their passion, but because

they're planted. And in that their.

Root system takes root into the US into the.

Person of Jesus Christ, and as they're fed and as they're

nourished, they outlast the. Seasons that are all around.

Them. Do you know how your?

Marriage stays fruitful. I'm trying to help.

You in 2026, do you know how your marriage?

Stays fruitful. Do you know how?

Your marriage stays. Fruitful, some of you.

Men are like, yeah, passion. I want the passion, patience,

whoever. Said that, praise the Lord for

you. Yes, true, your marriage doesn't

grow in moments of passion only. It grows because you plant

yourself in a covenant and it's fed daily by commitment and it

outlasts the storms around it. Do you know singles?

How you live in purity. I'm not just talking about your.

Sexual purity. I'm talking about purity.

As a whole person. It's because you're.

Unwilling to allow your passions to dictate your pursuit and your

pursuit to become your penalty. As a single.

Person you. Allow discipline to be formed in

your life at such. A spot in your life?

To say no to this, but a greater yes to this.

And I truly. Believe now being married for a

few years now. I.

Truly believe we don't. Need marriage counseling pre

marriage counseling. We need single counseling.

Because if you can. Deal with the issues you have as

a single. You won't take that.

Into your marriage. So if I can encourage.

You if you're still looking for that special one in your life.

Go get. Some counseling.

Talk to Michelle. Talk to someone that.

You can grow in a relationship with and learn about who God is

and who you are to help you plant yourself and discipline

and see the fruit of our lives. This is what I often hear when

I'm talking to people. Where did the passion go for my

spouse? Where did the?

Passion go for my faith. Where did the passion go for my

family? Where did the passion go for my

friends? I want to redirect.

You it's not necessarily where did your passions go, but where

did your disciplines go? Because your.

Discipline determines your direction.

I'm just going to move on because I'm running out of time

here. Listen, and I really believe

that you will rediscover your passion when you rediscover your

disciplines. But if?

We. Think that the passion is what

needs to come. 1st. We will get it all.

Wrong. That this is what we heard in

20/20/20 because we were trying to get back into church outside

because Gavin Newsom was trying to shut the doors.

And we, we just said, OK, we're just going to keep going.

We, we need to keep moving forward outside, whatever that

means. If Monrovia kicks us out, we're

going to keep going. We're going to find a city that

we can meet in. And people were just like, what,

what's why, Why are you keep doing this?

You've lost about 100 people already.

Why do you keep doing? This This is why.

We're going to hold. Church, we're going to seek

Jesus. We're going to strike the ground

with holy habits. Sanctified.

Schedules our daily intentional disciplines until we see.

The fruit of God. For the glory of God and we're

going to outlast the seasons of our lives.

There are two types of. Christians in this place.

There's Christians. They have passion without

discipline. And there's Christians that.

Have discipline without passion. Both are dangerous.

Both are. Dangerous.

This. Is what it leads to.

It leads to a shallowness in your.

Walk with the Lord. It leads to a shallowness.

You're only so deep. And you?

Still want people to go deeper with you, but you haven't gone

deeper yourself. It leads to.

Being constrained. By the law and not love.

Peter and John went to pray at 3:00 PM.

They went at 3:00 PM. Jesus rose.

Again from the dead, but we can't even get out of bed on

December 28th. It's hard some of.

You is like it was. Dark outside in the morning.

Listen, I. Commend you.

For keeping a spiritual. Discipline.

Peter and John went to pray, and as they went to pray, they

committed themselves, and they found themselves now at a spot

where this would happen in their lives, simply because they were

disciplined. Notice what happened.

A certain man, lame from his mother's womb.

Lame means he couldn't walk. He was carried whom they lay

daily at the gate of the Beautiful, which is called

Excuse me which. Which at the gate?

Of the temple, which is called beautiful to ask.

Alms from those. Who entered the temple?

Who seen? Peter and John about to go.

Into the temple, asked for alms. Now the word seen there means

that they strained. This man strained with intent.

So here's this man. He's laid at the gate,

beautiful. He's holding a cardboard sign.

That says. Alms for the poor.

Sound familiar? AMPM Chevron in the middle of

the busy Rd. Holding the sign.

Now this man actually had to be carried.

To the spot. That means he couldn't get there

on his own. He couldn't walk.

So looking at Peter and John. Intently, he's looking at them.

And he asked for. Alms.

Ohms is the. The money.

That would be given to the poor. Peter and John.

Peter says to the man who's now sitting there waiting.

Silver and gold I do not. Have but what I do?

Have. Peter said.

I give it to you. But I wanted silver and.

Gold. I wanted.

That which was flashy and that which would be in the moment to

fix my hunger. Peter reached.

Into the heart, because the matter was of the heart.

And he looks at the man and he says in the name of Jesus Christ

of Nazareth. Isn't that interesting?

Why didn't he say the Lord Jesus Christ?

Because. Nazareth was where Jesus was

coming from, and that was the worst town at that time you

could actually come from. In the name of Jesus.

Christ of Nazareth, where all the broken people are, that's

where our Lord came from. And there he looks at the guy,

and he says In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Get up now. Understand this.

OK, let's put ourselves in this guy's place.

In his sandals for. A minute.

Here is this man. Who's not walked his whole life

and now two men who are on their way to prayer look at him and

tell him to do something that's impossible.

If you were that man. What would you think of those

people? It's crazy.

It's cruel. Where's your compassion?

What are you trying to tell me? But the man.

Experienced what was impossible when he was obedient to the

Word. The Bible says this man got up.

And not. Did he just?

Get up, but listen to this. This is what?

The Bible says the Bible says he.

Got up and his bones received their strength literally.

He sprung up and he was ready to go.

I can hear this man putting down his sign and the Bible says that

he was leaping up. He walked and he entered the

temple with them walking, leaping and praising God.

I want you to write over verse 8.

Let's. Go.

Let's go. The guy got up leaping, and he

sprung to his feet singing. How do we form the future for

2026? We form the.

Future this way what I have belongs to God to reach other

people. What I.

Have. Belongs to God to reach other

people that are around me. So what does this look like for

us in this day and this age that we are in?

This is what it looks like. Little things are big things in

the eyes of God. Little things are big.

Things in the eyes of God, and this is what I want you to live

with. I want you to live with the

inability to do nothing. I want you to.

Live with the inability to do nothing.

And here's what I want. You to live.

In this year, you ready? Stop.

Being so offended. Stop being so.

Offended at everything and everyone.

Live in a culture of. Offense.

Here's what I want to. Spin this in a.

Positive light play offense. Stop being offended.

I want us to walk into 20. 26 and stop hitting the pause

button because we're offended, we're hurt.

We're to spot in our. Lives.

This man could have looked up and with bitterness said, I

can't get up, I've been in this condition for so long.

But he got up and he sprung up and he began to sing.

And then he walks with Peter and John.

He connects himself to the disciples.

And he goes. Into the disciples praising God

and this is what happened. All the people saw him walking

and praising God. God's going to call you to do

some crazy things this year. Let's just say that again.

God's going to call you to do some crazy things this year.

He's going to call. You to take some steps that seem

out of the ordinary for you. He's going to call you to ask

for things that are bigger than what you actually think can

happen. He's going to give to you things

in your life that you're going to have to receive, but you're

first going to have to let go of some things I want.

Us to. Understand that God is big, and

He's calling us to take both little, medium and large steps

for His glory. So this is.

What I want you to stop doing if you know the call of God on your

life right now. Stop thinking about it.

Stop thinking. About it.

Stop. Overanalyzing about it.

Can I even encourage you to do this?

Stop praying about. It.

You already know what. You're called to do.

Here's what. I want you to do act on it.

Act on it. If we want to form the future,

the future will be formed through obedience.

So if you know that you know that you're called to go do

something, let me encourage you go.

Whatever that looks. Like for you, let us come

alongside and encourage and support you in the posture of

going and in that time you will see.

A future formed as you. Obey.

God as you honor God. And as you lift up the name of

Jesus for his glory, thank you so much for gathering.

Together. On December 20. 8th.

Of two. 1025. We are about to.

Enter into a year that we never thought would come this quickly.

It's going to be. Filled with blessings and bumps,

burdens and bruises, righteousness and victory.

Triumph. Tragedy.

And it will be. Filled with truth and can I

encourage you to do 1? Thing this year.

As you form the future of your life.

Act. Upon truth, act upon it.

Stop giving into the lies. Of the.

Enemy. And watch what?

God will do with people like Peter.

And John, we hope you enjoyed this.

Message and we'd love for you to join us in person every Sunday

at 10:30 AM. For more information and

updates, visit wearebridgetown.com.

Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next week.