SUNDAY - October 11, 2026 "Street Ministry" Acts 5:14-15 (James Lewis)

Welcome to DeSoto Hills Baptist Church.

Our Sunday morning services are weekly at 9 and 10 30 a.m.

You're listening to an audio recast of this past week's service.

We hope you enjoy.

God bless.

Good morning, DeSoto Hills.

As you turn to Acts chapter 5 on behalf of Brother Mark, let me thank you for allowing us to be back today as we celebrate 20 years.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Hard to believe it's been 20 years, but I appreciate Grant's graciousness in asking me and Brother Mark to come back today.

I have grown a little older.

I'm reminded of that.

I went to uh Silver Creek this week to check on somebody who's there.

That's the senior adult living area.

Got on the elevator with a lady and she said, Are you a resident here?

No, ma'am, just visiting somebody.

I have been blessed.

Brother Mark and I both have stayed busy.

God has been good in opening doors for us.

I'm still preaching uh at uh Grace Creek on Sunday mornings and uh grateful for that.

I did have a lady ask me there a couple of months ago.

She said, Brother James, would you consider uh uh re-igniting?

Would you you consider you know, you would you consider what she was asking me uh would would oh I here's what she said, she said, would you consider reactivating?

Reactivating?

What she meant was I consider pastoring them, and I've told them earlier on that that I wouldn't do that.

But I don't think that I've ever been deactivated, but uh I'm grateful to be here today and grateful to share the word with you.

I want to I have a fresh challenge for us today as we think about where we've been, where we are, and where we're going.

I want to I want to focus on the reach of DeSota Hills, the reach of our church, which is we know ultimately his church.

But what will be the reach?

What will continue to be the reach of DeSota Hills?

Now, when you think about reach, you think about outreach.

And outreach is a very intentional thing, and our church has sought to do that all these years.

We we understand you have to be intentional, but that's not the reach I'm talking about.

I think we do a really good job, but in reach, that's an intimate thing.

And uh, we do try to take care of one another, and you're a loving church and you care.

Uh we just, Kathy and I, thank you so much.

Somebody asked me this morning.

She is coming on her nine-month checkup in uh December, and we are still very cancer free, and we're thankful for that.

And you were so much a part of praying for us and checking on us.

So you, yeah, that's great.

Her hair's come back curly, amen.

So, you know, not worth going through chemo to get curly hair, but hey, she got it.

The the onecologist told her early on, you're gonna lose all your hair.

But unlike your husband's, yours will come back, well I think.

All right.

So you do a great job at at intimate that.

But what I want to talk about today is the far reach.

The far reach that I'm gonna tell you is incidental.

You don't you don't focus on far reach.

Far reach happens when you're focusing on other things.

It is that it is that incidental.

It's not your resolve to have a far-reaching church, but it is a result of being the kind of church that focuses on things that will help you have that far reach.

Here's my heart.

I want the Soda Hills to continue to touch folks we will never touch.

I'm gonna say that again.

I want us to continue to touch folks that we will never touch.

In other words, we may not know these folks.

We may never come in contact with these folks, these folks may never come a part of our church.

And yet the ministry and heart and spirit of the Soda Hills will touch them in a mighty way.

There's a great illustration of that in the book of Acts.

And I know Grant's just about to finish up taking you through the book of Acts, but it's been a long time since you've been at chapter 5.

But in chapter 5, verse 14 and 15, an interesting, interesting episode in the life of the church and the life of Peter happens.

Here's what it said.

And more than ever, believers were added to the Lord.

Multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out into the street the sick and laid them on cots and mats.

Here it is.

That as Peter came by, at least his shadow might touch some of them.

What a tremendous thought that Peter did not stop to touch these folks.

The Lord was using him in other words, and yet as he was going by, there was such a heart and spirit and anointing on Peter that as he passed by, they were bringing people into the street that his shadow might touch them.

My challenge is to Soda Hills, where will your shadow go?

And what kind of shadow will you cast?

Individually and as a church, will we cast the kind of shadow?

Will we have the kind of reputation that will touch people that we don't even touch?

Now, if that's to be so, I just want to think about Peter's life and some episodes in his life.

I believe that that like Peter, there needs to be some things in our life that will be so certain that our shadow, like Peter's, will have an impact on the world all around us.

Number one is this.

Like Peter, hear me.

We need to be sure that the light bulb has come on.

In other words, we are anchored.

We make a confession.

We say it clear.

The light had, and I pray that in your life and in the life of our church, it is obvious to all that come in contact with that the light bulb has come on.

You know what I'm talking about.

You remember when Jesus was talking to the disciples and he asked them, who do men say that I am?

And they said, Well, some say John the Baptist, and some say Elijah.

But then he looked at them, and I wonder if he didn't really look at Peter.

But who do you say that I am?

DeSoda Hills, let's be the kind of church that understands who Jesus is.

And we proclaim it and we sing about it and we preach about it and we share about it and we're excited about it.

And I love, you know what Peter says?

Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus said, You are blessed, Peter.

And upon this rock I will build my church.

Now let me tell you why it's so important for us to be anchored and for the world to know in these ever-changing times, when so much is happening in our world, and so often is happening in the life of the world that they still need to know.

This world still needs to know.

Everybody who's who's comes in contact with our shadow needs to know that we are still anchored in Christ Jesus.

And God's people said, Amen.

Now let me tell you what, number one, that needs to be a super personal confession.

It's not just who I say he is or you say he is, we say he is, and you need to have that personal conviction today, that personal confession, that he is not just, he is not just a Lord or the Lord, he is my Lord.

He is my Lord.

And it needs to be that personal, superpersonal confession.

Second.

It needs to be a supernatural confession.

It's not just something that you believe with your head.

Aren't you grateful?

Hello?

Aren't you grateful?

It is not just an intellectual thing.

And because Jesus will say, flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father.

We need a supernatural understanding that we that when we try to explain to the world why we're anchored in Jesus, it's not just a term of trying to give facts and figures and intellectual understanding, but we know in our heart, because it has been revealed by the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ is the Lord.

We need to stay anchored in Him.

It's a superpersonal thing.

It is a supernatural thing.

Third.

It is a supercritical thing.

Hear me.

No church will ever cast the shadow they need to cast unless they understand who Christ Jesus is.

And God's people said, Amen.

We must be certain in that.

We must be firm in that.

A lot of things change in the life of churches.

You know, I told you, you know, I get to ask and I appreciate it.

Would you consider pastoring us?

And I and I always say the same thing.

If if I felt the Lord wanted me to still pastor, I would still be at DeSota Hills.

Sorry, Grant.

Hello.

Hello, I'd still be here.

And so things change, and my ministry has changed, and the direction of my ministry has changed.

And things have changed the life of your church and all those things.

But the one constant.

In an ever-changing world, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

I am the same today, yesterday, and forevermore.

And there's a world out there to Soda Hills that needs to see some churches that are still anchored in that.

In an ever-changing world, in ever-changing churches, in ever-changing styles, there is still in ever-changing facilities, there are still churches who are firmly rooted in the fact because it is super critical.

Jesus said, and he's not saying, Peter, I'm going to found the church upon you.

I'm going to found the church upon what you just said, that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, and God's people said, Amen.

So the soda heels.

We want to stay anchored.

And we want to have a shadow that casts out there and says to a world, listen, the light has come on, and we are still anchored in Christ Jesus.

But let me tell you a second thing.

I believe the world needs to see a shadow and feel a shadow and experience a shadow that not only says the light has come on, but second, the desk chairs have pulled out.

The light has come on, and the desk chairs have pulled out.

And I'll tell you what I mean by that.

We need to be an adaptable church.

An adaptable church.

When I say the chairs have pulled out, we want to be a church that still sits at the table and learns from the master and God's people said, Amen.

We still want to be a teachable people.

And Peter is a reality of that.

The reality is we do need Peter's confession.

But we also need Peter's confrontation.

He was confronted with some things that he still needed to grow.

And I pray that we will not come across as a church that knows it all in the sense that we have arrived, and if you would just get on board with us, you'd arrive too.

But we will come across, as I used to write in our shepherd's nook, end it this way.

I am a fellow pilgrim.

And we need to say to a world that we are learning, we are growing.

We still make mistakes.

The mother church, it's not your church.

The mother churches still make mistakes.

But we're, we're, in other words, we're trying to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and be that adaptable shadow that is learning and growing in Christ Jesus.

The Lord, I am so grateful.

The Lord did not use Peter because he was perfect.

The Lord used Peter because he was a pilgrim, learning the grace and goodness of Almighty God as God taught him.

And so to Soda Hills, we want to continue to be that adaptable church that's learning and growing in him.

I just thought about some things that the Lord had to teach Peter along the road and some things he needs to teach us.

Certainly he had to teach him about brokenness.

Peter is the one you know the story that at the Lord's Supper said to Jesus, you know, the rest of these guys may fail you, but I will never forsake you.

And Jesus said, Peter, before the cock crows, you'll deny me three times.

And we know that happens.

And so Peter has to deal with that.

And I pray we'll we'll continue to be a broken people.

Apart from the grace of Almighty God, we can do nothing.

And we need to be a people that understands that at any time our flesh can rise up, whether we're singing or preaching or doing this, that the flesh can get involved.

And like Peter, got in the flesh that day and said something that he would live to regret, I'm sure.

And yet the grace and goodness of Almighty God works through him.

And so we want to be a people that's still learning in a sense of brokenness.

Let me tell you a second thing.

I want us to learn not only about brokenness, but about openness.

Openness to the all the Lord may teach us and show us.

Sometimes we are very bent on set in our ways.

Them other churches, not you, but them other churches, can be set in our ways.

We all have ways.

They're not necessarily bad ways, but we are so set in our ways that God's got to do it like this when I think he ought to do it and how I think you ought to do it.

And I think we need to learn, like Peter, a sense of openness.

I thought about that, Grace.

Uh open mine eyes that I may see.

Visions of truth thou hast for me.

Place in my hand the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for thee.

Ready, my God, thy will to see.

Open mine eyes, illumine me, Spirit of God.

And the Lord's gonna have to teach Peter that.

You know the story in the book of Acts.

Uh Peter is uh up on the roof taking uh a nap.

I will tell you, one of the great benefits of retirement are daily naps.

Amen.

Wherever I'm at, about that time of the day, I say, Kathy, it's time for me to go take my retirement nap.

In fact, not too long ago, Grant and I went to see somebody, and he let me out of the car.

I said, Grant, I hate to tell you this, but I'm going in to you're going back to the church.

I'm going in to take my retirement nap, buddy.

So Peter's up taking a nap.

He's not retired, but he's taking a nap, and he gets in a trance, and you know the story that that sheet is let down, and all of those unclean animals are in there that Jews had nothing to do with because God had told them not to have anything to do with.

And the Lord says, something.

Does the Lord ever tell you something that you say, hello?

I don't give those spiritual looks.

I haven't been gone that long.

Sometimes the Lord tells us things and we we want to argue with him, and Peter does that.

Jesus says, Peter, eat.

And Peter to the Lord says, Not so, Lord.

Not so.

I have never eaten anything unclean.

And yet the Lord was teaching him a lesson because let me tell you, the gospel was going to the Gentiles, and God's people said, Amen.

And Peter struggles with that even after the vision.

He has some apprehensive.

He ponders that.

So the Lord had to bring him to a point to remind him, listen, there needs to be a sense of openness.

And I pray that our church will have a shadow that will touch people to say, those people have an openness to the will and the way of the Lord.

And even when he tells them to do something that is uncomfortable, something that is unorthodox, something that is unknown, that they will have such a heart to say, Lord, we will say to him, Yes, Lord.

Yes, Lord.

And so Peter's gonna have to learn that.

So we need to be adaptable to the sense of brokenness, to the sense of openness.

Let me tell you a third thing.

We need to be open, we need to be teachable because the Lord wants to teach us something about genuineness.

There's another time in the life of Peter.

You know what's happening?

Paul's gonna call him out because Peter's eating with Gentiles until some Jews come in.

And suddenly he disassociates himself with the Gentiles because the Jews are there.

Let me see how to say this spiritually.

It flies all over Paul.

I mean, it flies all over him.

And he will say, I confronted him face to face.

And so we need to say there needs to be a genuineness about us.

A genuineness that we are the same today, yesterday, and forevermore.

But our Christianity works everywhere, and we don't disassociate ourselves with some because we don't want to be too attached to them.

We're gonna say, listen, this is what Jesus has done in me, this is what he can do for you.

And God's people said amen.

So there needs to be, we need, we need the Lord to teach us an adaptability about a genuineness and an openness and a brokenness.

But let me tell you the fourth thing under that one.

We need the Lord to teach us about faithfulness.

Faithfulness.

DeSoda Hills, I believe we have been faithful.

I believe the process that brought us here was through the goodness of God and our faithfulness to listen to Him.

I've been so thrilled through the videos and the podcast to kind of hear that story uh reiterated over and over again and what a glorious thing the Lord did in 06 when he brought us here to start this new work and continue to do a work and it's continuing to do a work at Carriage Heels.

We're so thankful for that.

But let me let you, I want us to, I want us to be a people that is continuing to learn faithfulness.

We have been faithful, we are faithful, and we want to continue to be faithful.

The Lord may tell us some some some fascinating, hard, difficult things maybe, but we want to continue to be faithful.

We're gonna be faithful.

I I think about what Jesus said, you know, he he meets them on the shore and and he asked Peter that question.

Peter, do you love me?

And Peter says, Lord, you know I love you.

Then feed my sheep.

Peter, you love me.

Lord, you know I love you, then feed my sheep.

In other words, here's what Jesus is reminding Peter.

It's just not what you say, it's what you do.

And so do hills, I don't want us to be a church that just says we love Jesus, or we sing that we love Jesus, or we proclaim that we love Jesus.

I pray it will be evident to our world that we are faithfully following him, showing people he loves them by the love we have for them.

And Peter is reminded of that.

Peter, you can say you love me, but here's how I want you to show me you love me.

Show me you love me by your faithfulness in doing what I've called you to do.

So, DeSoda Hills, we want to continue to cast a shadow.

That is, that is evident that the light bulb has come on.

We are anchored.

Evident that the desk has been, the chairs, the desk chairs have been pulled out because we are still sitting learning from Him.

We are adaptable.

But let me tell you a third and final thing.

We want to be a church that the shadow says, the fire has come down, and we are anointed people.

Amen.

But yes, the the light bulb has come on.

Yes, the desk chairs have pulled out.

Yes, but the fire has come down, and we are an anointed people.

We, like Peter, are depending upon the power of Almighty God through the Holy Spirit falling in this place.

I pray it will be known.

I pray that we will be known.

You know, I've told you a long time you've you've understood this.

I have been accused and still am being accused of being Babdecostal.

Hello?

Babdecostal.

That's fine with me because I've told you before, Pentecost was not a Pentecostal thing, it was a God's people kind of thing.

And Baptists need to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit because it is that anointed.

I pray that things will continue to happen here.

And I believe in since the move was one of those, that could only be explained as a God thing.

Amen.

That the church back then and now has been anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So let me let me tell you, church, when it comes to the Holy Spirit, three things we need to understand.

Number one, we do need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

And Peter, as he walked by those streets, there was such a presence of Almighty God on his life that that cat, that shadow had such a powerful impact upon people.

I've told you before, and I just remind you today that uh I I love uh how many of you would admit that you know who Bette Midler is?

Bette Midler.

Good singer, good actress.

I don't know about her theology, but but it's a good illustration.

One of my favorite songs she did is You Are the Win Beneath My Wings.

Let me tell you what.

The Holy Spirit for us is the win beneath our wings.

God has given to Soda Hill some good wings.

He's given us a good building, he's given you good staff, he's given you good former staff.

Hello, Lara.

Lau's in big church today because she's going on a different route.

Lars, good to see you.

But the reality is, he's given you some great things, giving you a great location.

Oh, the location that the vision that church had years ago, the vision that Brother Steve and Ben Smith and some others had in buying this property at a time.

Uh Mark and I were doing a podcast this week, and Mark said, you know, Dad, when we came over here, there wasn't much here.

And I said, Cows?

Cows were here.

That's about all was here.

But the vision of those people, and and and so, and so we got a great location and we've got a great structure, and you've got a great staff, and you've got great great technology, and you've got all that going in.

But let me tell you what, if the Holy Spirit doesn't breathe across DeSoda Hills, if he doesn't breathe across me, if he doesn't breathe across the music, then we are just flapping our wings.

But when the Holy Spirit is involved, it empowers us, it lifts us up.

And we want to be a continue to be a church.

That cast a shadow, that that's just not a structure, and that's just not an organization, and that's not just a bunch of folks meeting on a weekly basis, but that is some folks empowered by the Spirit of Almighty God.

If they don't know who God is, at least they'll say there's something happening there.

And we would say there's someone happening there.

That makes all the difference in the life of our church.

And so we we want to continue to be a church that is anointed, but because we want to demonstrate our shadow that the fire has come down and now is burning in us.

And so the Holy Spirit for us is He He empowers us.

Second, he enlightens us, He He guides us.

And I know in the in the days ahead, as they there will be, there will be decisions you're trying to make.

Right now, you'll be starting to look for two staff members, still looking for music.

I said when I left, I said when I left, Brother Mark, I would be easy to replace.

But he would be difficult to replace, and I prophesied that.

But you're still looking.

You're praying that the Lord will guide and direct and give.

You'll be looking for a new children's minister.

Laura's been here a long time, but she's a new path has opened up for her, a new chapter in her life and ministry, and so God's going to use that.

So we pray, Lord, it's not just, and I continue to remind you all to pray, not my will, but thine be done.

Not my will, but thine be done.

May you bring us the right person to guide us in worship.

May you bring us the right person, the next person to guide us in children's ministry.

As we seek your face, Lord, enlighten us, guide us that your will will be done.

And so the Holy Spirit, we need him to empower us.

We need him to enlighten us.

But let me tell you the third and final thing.

We need the Holy Spirit to encourage us.

Amen.

And I appreciate your encouragement.

And I've been so grateful that, you know, for two years I drove back and forth to Shannon, Mississippi, every Sunday and preached there for two years.

And then Grace Creek opened up and I felt like it was the Lord uh opening a door for me there.

And so I told the Brewer that I needed to uh back off from them.

They found another in them who was there another year, and now they have a brand new pastor that started a couple of months ago.

We're grateful for that.

But so it's opened up for me because Grace Creek is just 20 minutes down the road.

So I've been able to come at the 9 o'clock service and be part of the music and part of the preaching and have enjoyed being a part of that.

And have been so encouraged to see so many of you, and you hug up on me and tell me that uh you appreciate me and you're praying for me and praying for me and Kathy, and that's so encouraging.

But let me tell you, there's nothing like getting a hug from Almighty God through his Spirit.

And I pray that as you read the word, as you sing these songs, as you as you hear the messages, as God works in your life, that the Holy Spirit will be what Jesus said he would be, I will send my comforter.

And I pray today that whatever is going on in your life, and the world will see, that you have a comfort that does not come from your situation or your circumstances, but you have a comfort that comes from God Almighty.

And God's people said, Amen.

DeSoda Heels, let's continue to cast a far-reaching shadow that will touch a world that we may never touch.

Amen and amen.

Lord, I thank you today for the liberty to be back in this place with the people that I love in a facility I love, on a preaching platform that I love.

Lord, I do pray today that as we celebrate 20 years, as we think about where we've been and where we are and where we're going, that Lord, our heart's desire will be to cast that kind of shadow that will touch other folks.

I pray for people that need to respond today, Lord.

Maybe they need to come to this altar and say, Lord, help me personally to cast the right shadow in my workplace, in my school place, among my extended family.

That Lord, I may have a difficult time touching them.

My street ministry may not be a targeted thing, but may be a thing that touches folks in a lasting kind of way.

Lord, I pray for anybody here today that would say, Preacher, I don't have a super personal testimony.

I've been part of a church or been going attending church or been around church, but Lord, they can't really say that you are my Christ, the Son of the Living God.

So stir and move today, Lord.

I pray that you'll be glorified in all that is done here in this place, this day and forevermore.

For it's in your precious and holy name I ask it now.

Amen.

Let's stand, staff is here, God stirred your heart.

You step out today as we sing.

Thanks for listening to this week's sermon.

If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at DeSotoHills.com.