It Grows With Boldness | When Resistance Meets Revival

Welcome to Reach KC everybody, it's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in. It's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in. It's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in. It's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in. It's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in. It's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in. It's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in. It's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in. It's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in. It's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in. It's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in. It's so great to have you with us, I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join You're the only one who can save the day. You give me refraction. You turn shame into glory. You're the only one who can save the day. You turn pain into heartache. You turn bones into armies. You turn seas into highways.

You're the only one who can. You turn grave into garden. You turn bones into armies. You turn seas into highways. You're the only one who can. You're the only one who can. You're the only one who can. You're the only one who can. The nearest thing there is, is your arms. I'm sure that's where the miracle starts. Beyond what I want, beyond what I see. The change for my world begins. I'm holding surrender. Go do what you will with me. Just make me your vessel. The sadness and awfully. You can have it all God, you can have it all. You can have it all God, you can have it all. You can have it all God, you can have it all. You can have it all God, you can have it all. You can have it all God, you can have it all. You can have it all God, you can have it all. You can have it all God, you can have it all. ♪ Pray for great things ♪ ♪ Lord we ask You Jesus we pray ♪ ♪ God is the best of everything ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ our highest King ♪ ♪ And at Your power lies nothing ♪ ♪ Lord we ask You Jesus we pray ♪ ♪ Lord I trust You with all I pray ♪

♪ Come and revive our will and faith ♪ ♪ Turn our faith for greater peace ♪ ♪ Lord we ask You Jesus we pray ♪ ♪ God is the best of everything ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ our highest King ♪ ♪ And at Your power lies nothing ♪ ♪ Lord we ask You Jesus we pray ♪ ♪ Lord we ask You Jesus we pray ♪ ♪ Lord we ask You Jesus we pray ♪ ♪ Lord we ask You Jesus we pray ♪ ♪ Lord we ask You Jesus we pray ♪ ♪ You can have it all God You can have it all ♪ ♪ You can have it all God You can have it all ♪ ♪ You can have it all God You can have it all ♪ ♪ You can have it all You can have it all ♪ ♪ You can have it all God You can have it all ♪ ♪ You can have it all God You can have it all ♪ ♪ You can have it all God You can have it all ♪ ♪ You can have it all You can have it all ♪ ♪ Oh, I just fear it all, I pray ♪ ♪ Come the revival fill this place ♪ ♪ The rock I beg for greater peace ♪ ♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ ♪ For this to rest our heads from pain ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ our highest King ♪ ♪ Send us Your power like nothing ♪ ♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ ♪ Oh, I just fear it all, I pray ♪ ♪ Come the revival fill this place ♪ ♪ The rock I beg for greater peace ♪

♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ ♪ For this to rest our heads from pain ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ our highest King ♪ ♪ Send us Your power like nothing ♪ ♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ ♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ ♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ ♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ ♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ ♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ ♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ ♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ ♪ Oh, we ask, we seek, we pray ♪ Thank you. Thank you! ♪ You bring light to the left ♪ ♪ You bring light to the right ♪ ♪ You bring light to the darkness ♪ ♪ You give hope, you restore ♪ ♪ Every heart that is broken ♪ ♪ Great are you Lord ♪ ♪ You give life through our love ♪ ♪ You bring light to the darkness ♪ ♪ You give hope, you restore ♪ ♪ Every heart that is broken ♪ ♪ Great are you Lord ♪ ♪ You show grace through our love ♪ ♪ You show grace through our love ♪ ♪ Pour out our praise, pour out our praise ♪ ♪ That You're there in our lives ♪

♪ So we pour out our praise to You only ♪ ♪ And baby are You Lord ♪ ♪ We delight in Your love ♪ ♪ You bring light into the darkness ♪ ♪ You'll go and restore the heart that is broken ♪ ♪ And baby are You Lord ♪ ♪ You're there in our lives so we pour out our praise ♪ ♪ Pour out our praise, You're there in our lives ♪ ♪ So we pour out our praise to You only ♪ ♪ You're there in our lives so we pour out our praise ♪ ♪ Pour out our praise, You're there in our lives ♪ ♪ So we pour out our praise to You only ♪ ♪ And baby are You Lord ♪ ♪ You're there in our lives so we pour out our praise ♪ ♪ So we pour out our praise to You only ♪ ♪ And baby are You Lord ♪ ♪ Our hearts will cry these poems the same thing ♪ ♪ Are You Lord, are You Lord ♪ ♪ All the earth will shout Your praise ♪ ♪ Our hearts will cry these poems the same thing ♪ ♪ Are You Lord, are You Lord ♪ ♪ You're there in our lives so we pour out our praise ♪ ♪ Before our praise You're there in our lives ♪ ♪ So we pour out our praise to You only ♪ ♪ You're there in our lives so we pour out our praise ♪ ♪ And pour out our praise ♪ ♪ You're there in our lives so we pour out our praise to You only ♪ ♪ And they are You alone ♪ ♪ And they are You alone ♪ ♪ You bring light to the dark ♪

♪ Yes You can hope and restore every heart that is broken ♪ ♪ And they are You alone, there's no one like You Lord ♪ ♪ And they are You alone, there's no one like You Lord ♪ Come on, let's. The scriptures tell us to lift up our hands because the thing is is when we worship, we're worshiping a holy God and He is worthy of our praise. He's not worthy of us to sit here with our arms crossed. He is a King who died on a cross and rose again, defeated death, sin, and the grave for us, for us. He is worthy of our praise. He is worthy of us to be ecstatic. He is worthy of our time. He is worthy of our affection. He is worthy of our shouts of hallelujah. God, it is Your breath in our lungs and You are worthy. Great are You Lord, great are You Lord, great are You Lord. So I want you guys to tell Him how great He is. ♪ And it's our time to go before our praise, before our praise is shown ♪ My love So before our faces go It's aurething I wonder So before our faces And more our praises It's aurething I love So before our faces go The way that you go

The way The way that you go The way that you go The way The way that you go You live life, you love You bring light to the dark That you can't hold, you restore Every heart that's broken The way that you go There is nothing else greater than you, God The way that you go The way that you go The way that you go All the earth will shout your praise Our hearts will cry these bones within They are your love All the earth will shout your praise Our hearts will cry these bones within Where are you now? Come on, let's make it a declaration, church It's your breath in our lungs So we pour out our praise It's your breath in our lungs So we pour out our praise It's your breath in our lungs So we pour out our praise Come on, let's make it a declaration Let's just keep doing this Come on

How great are you, Lord How great are you, Lord How great are you, Lord Come on, one more time, Crystal This time I want us to make this a declaration, church Let's declare over this community, over this city Over this country, over your family Over your children, over your brothers and sisters Come on, I want us to just begin to make it up Come on, we gonna pour it out, God It's your breath in our lungs So we pour out our praise It's your breath in our lungs So we pour out our praise It's your breath in our lungs So we pour out our praise And great are You, Lord And great are You, Lord And great are You, Lord Cause You give life, You are love You bring light to the darkness You give hope, You restore Every heart that is broken And great are You, Lord Oh, the story that I know This is one of my favorite songs You just get to declare the goodness of God And how great you are no matter what I'm going through, no matter what I'm dealing with God you are great And let every breath in my lungs declare that Because the Bible says that if I don't do it, the rocks will And I don't want a rock to cry out in my place Because I want to answer for my praise

I want to answer for my worship I want God to see my heart cry I want God to see me begin to bleed in His presence Because I need more of Him And so God, whatever it is God, let us worship you God Because it is your breath God, we give you honor We give you praise May you just shift an atmosphere in a moment God I want to stay in this right here for just a second Because I don't know about you but My mind has been louder than my spirit this morning I'm hearing things over what my spirit is even trying to say And I've been trying to discern what it is Like, Lord, do I need to move here? Do I need to move there? Like, what do I need to do? I just need to shift Like, God, do we need to shift this? Do we need to shift that? I speak to every mind in the room right now Let it be still The Lord says, be still and know that I am God Would you be still? Would we surrender the moment? Would we surrender the service? Would we surrender everything to His presence so that He could do exactly what He said that He would do? I feel a heaviness in our people And I feel like this is even a pastoral care moment that I could just say, God, we need your presence right now So heavy I don't even know what it is I don't even know what the burdens of our people are in this moment But God, would you hear our spirit? Would you hear the cry of your people, God? May we lean in today May we surrender our hearts Surrender our spirits Let our hearts be cultivated So that the word would go in and it would take root and it would transform our lives May we be still and know that He is God this morning In Jesus' name Come on, can we give a shout of praise? Can we give a worship? Come on, can we give a worship that the heavens is going to hear? Come on, can we give a worship that the devil

is going to be afraid of? Come on, somebody, turn to your neighbor Give them a double high five Say, it is so good to see you here this morning Church wouldn't be the same without you Hallelujah Now, turn to your other neighbor and say, church is better because you're here Amen? Say, you are a miracle Miracle You know, sometimes I just think about the goodness of God and everything He's doing in and through our lives and I look at scripture and one of the things I see is God often asks His people to take the first step before He reveals the next step. Sometimes you have to move and just believe that God is speaking the way that He's speaking. You can see it in the Old Testament when Israel, when Moses is leading them out of the exodus or through the exodus and he gets to the peninsula of the sea and they had to step in. He had to hold his staff before it split. You see it before the food was multiplied to the thousands to feed that first the disciples had to pump the little boy out of his lunch. That's how I read it. I mean they kind of did like, give me that lunch bro. But it didn't multiply until they brought it to Jesus' hands and they said here, I believe that you can do this and honestly I think that the same is with our own personal giving. The Bible says this in Malachi 3, it said bring the whole tithe into the storehouse so that it can be done and watch what will happen. See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out such a blessing into your lap that you won't even be able to store it. Come on somebody, I don't know about you but how many of us want the windows of heaven opened up on their life? I know I do personally. If you didn't raise your hand, maybe we can lead you to the Lord at the end of service, amen? But the tithe honestly has always been and will always be about putting God first but today I also want to remind you not just about our tithe because that's not what this is

all about but this is about a moment where we can just steward what God has given us and I believe that there is something in the next generation that this generation can't even do. If you look at the progression of generations and just see the move of God of what God is doing, I personally want to leave something. I almost named my little boy, if y'all didn't know that was my beautiful wife that was standing right there playing that guitar with that eight month old baby inside of her, amen? And I almost named him Legacy because the Lord kind of spoke something to me but I'm not even going to tell y'all about that but there was a moment where I just felt like hey, you know what? I am starting to plan my life right now for the generations to come after me because if all we have done is lived a life to fulfill our time here on earth, then we have failed. But if we live a life so that our kids, kids, kids can carry on the legacy that we have left, then I believe that we have done and run our race well and I believe that that's what we are here for. So we've talked about Bill 900 the last nine months and that is literally preparing the next generation of what is going to happen here that will be passed down eventually and it's incredible what God has done and what he's been able to do all through everything of what he's still doing. Because we've had this moment where we've built up, built up, built up, built up and talked about the building and just everything and some people's like, is the building even exist? You know, it's like the person that says they have a best friend but you never see the best friend, you know? It's like you really don't have a best friend, like it's just an imaginary friend. And it's kind of like that but different. And now we're like at this last stint of the race and it's incredible because we've had somebody that's come and said, hey you know what, we'll match $100,000 because we need about, realistically about $250,000, $300,000, $1,000 not dollars, $1,000 in order to finish and they said, hey we'll match $100,000 if you guys can raise $100,000.

and that 200 grand will put us in the door. Amen. We'll be able to worship in a new building and open the doors for more people and and just believe that God is gonna just sow into lives that have never been impacted yet, will be discipled that have never been discipled yet and I'm just honestly excited about what God is doing in and through Reach, in and through you, in and through Build 900, in and through Kingdom Builders and just through our regular giving and just being able to be a blessing. Honestly, kind of like me and a few of us in here was up till about 2 o'clock this morning because we was over there parking people for Argentina. Come on, we're gonna shout out Argentina. Ain't nobody in here even know what Argentina, like what we're talking about, but because of Argentina we was able, just Argentina alone, the first game and the last game that they played here in Kansas City, we was able to raise $16,000 just from Argentina, parking in our building, at the new building, the building that don't really exist. We've actually been able to raise about $30,000 for the church, for Kingdom Builders, for parking cars in our parking lot at the new building because we just happened to buy the building right before FIFA. Come on somebody, amen. So we're excited about that. If we can get some ushers to come forward. Hey, if you're a faithful giver, we thank you, we appreciate you, we challenge you even to let's give above and beyond what God has already called us to give. Maybe we could be challenged, maybe you've never give, could we challenge you to give? Hey, we're not here for your money and if you feel that way then it is what it is. I apologize, but that's not really what it is. God is here for your heart. He wants you to trust him with everything in your life, your marriage, I promise you, if you do it, it can change everything. I'm telling you, you can't, you can't show me a single person that tithes, that isn't just, anyways, I'll leave you alone. Hey, I'm Pastor Jessie, welcome home to Reach KC. Here at Reach, we believe in unlikely people and overlook places doing extraordinary things. So if you feel like you've been overlooked recently or in any time of your life, we just are excited to welcome you here to be a part of our home at Reach. Speaking of homes, our Reach homes is having a fundraiser on

July 19th from 4 to 8 p.m. Are you hungry for Chipotle? I know that I am. Make sure and grab a flyer at the Connect Center today before you leave. Bring it to Chipotle on Sterling from 4 to 8 p.m. on July 19th and join us for dinner. For our moms in the house this morning, we know that sometimes our babies get restless, they get a little cranky or upset, and we need a quiet place to take them so that they can calm down. Did you know that we have a mother's room downstairs in our City Kids area? If your child gets upset during the service or they get a little restless and they just need a break, feel free to walk out of the sanctuary, go to the City Kids steps, and our security team member will help you get down to the mother's room. Now grab your Bibles and your journal and let's get ready to hear the message this morning. Come on somebody, we know we need a journal. Why? Because if you take notes, what happens? You get a better spot in heaven. Amen. And for those that just joined us, they're like, wow, we are preaching heresy here and try me, try me. That's all I can say is try me and see if you take notes what will happen when you die. And so we'll talk about it when we get to heaven, amen? Amen. Well hey, we just want to welcome you home and we just believe that God's best is yet to come in your life and and that he is not done with you yet, even if you thought that he was, even if you thought he never got started, he is not done with you yet. And so we are in a sermon series that is titled, It Grows with Boldness, and we are going through the book of Acts. And we're in Acts 4, starting out in Acts 4, we just talked through the lame man getting healed in Acts 3. Peter and John started addressing the Jewish people in Jerusalem and was just telling them really all about Jesus and just what was happening and why this lame man was healed and how it happened and it was all because of Jesus. And then we get to Acts 4 and some things start to shift in the story. And so if you've been following along in your own personal readings, you will you will be highly encouraged by this message. If you have not been following along, I challenge you to start reading ahead and just digging into it and finding it. Today I have titled my message, When Resisting.

meets revival when resistance meets revival have you ever sat on an airplane right before takeoff right and everything seems calm like it's calm before the storm and and it just all seems like everything is good as the plane taxis down the the the runway and then it stops for a moment and you pause and and you know the the attendance is coming up and they're trying to get you some water and and all of this stuff and then you sit there for a moment and then they all sit down and they strap in with these shoulder harnesses and then the next thing you know you hear this loud engine roar and then it just seems like you're just kind of moving a little bit and then the whole cabin begins to shake I don't know if anybody else has been on a plane but me and then all of the sudden as the cabin the whole thing begins to shake you think the wheels are going to fall off of this thing a man and you're just not sure what's happening the pressure is pushing you into the back of the seat and the faster the plane moves the more resistance it seems like you encounter now imagine if this had been your first time on the flight like it's I've been there with my wife right I've I've I've sat there by her and I sat and wondered I could tell on her face what she was thinking and it was like why is it getting louder like is this plane gonna gonna die why is it shaking like is everything just and she just the look of despair in her face as she looks next to you to try to figure out why is everything shaking is the plane falling apart like what's happening I'm not understanding is something wrong should we stop should we hit the button up there so we should we call somebody's attention but here's what happens every experienced pilot knows this that the resistance isn't evidence that something is wrong it's evidence that you're getting ready to take off the ground it's evidence that something is about to happen that could propel you into a different place and I wonder how many Christians actually mistake runway resistance for spiritual failure news they've been having said the moment life gets hard come on somebody the moment opposition comes there's pressure that it's applied and and people misunderstand us and and all of these different things that happen through this pressure what happened we automatically assume that God must not be in it we we automatically assume that that something is out and and and if there's no resistance then then it's like oh yeah if the door is open but then if there is resistance a lot of the times we feel but see Peter actually preaches a different story and acts for we see the leaders of the Sanhedrin that their theories Peter and John the Sanhedrin if you didn't know

this is the most powerful religious community of time that was next to the political power they say the high priest of the Sanhedrin was actually comparative to the president of the United States by power wise and so you have these people they're furious Peter and John are arrested and you would think that the next phrase in this passage would be that the people backed up because opposition was pressing Peter and John got arrested we got to go literally the same people that had Jesus sentenced to death just about a month and a half prior to this now had Peter and John under the same sentencing guidelines present-day Christians today would tell us there's no way that God could be in this because there is too much pain associated with this process but when you actually read the text as we'll get into the church grew right after this the church grew to 5,000 actually during this which tells me this that sometimes the greatest move of God are often met with the greatest resistance like resistance has never been able to stop revival resistance is not the opposite of revival church it's often the environment that revival actually grows in like when resistance happens because revival this is for the religious folks if you ain't like anyways revival is not a room full of people speaking in tongues but revival is not a room full of people that say they have the spirit but ain't got no fruit of the spirit that ain't what revival is see revival is actually the hearts of believers that are burning for God's presence even when else is going on even in the midst of resistance And when they are saying, hey, you know what? It doesn't matter. I'm going to still burn for God, which is in my life, personally, has been an exact representation. It's been something that has drawn me. When I feel resistance, it's something that draws me to the presence of God, which, honestly, has been pretty recent. Not just resistance, but just this weird resistance in my spirit. Like, I just feel like, man, I'm hitting a wall here, and we're hitting a wall, and like, God, what do we need? And it's something that draws me into the presence of God,

not against it. Hear me, church. Don't measure God's favor by the absence of opposition. Measure it by the presence of his power, because God is looking to do something in your life. And so today, I want to reveal three truths that we learn when resistance meets revival. Three truths that we learn when resistance meets revival. Here's the first one. Revival isn't stopped by resistance. Revival isn't stopped by resistance. Resistance cannot stop a move of God. Acts 4, 1 through 4. The priest and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up. So you've got all these political powers come up to Peter and John while they are speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, not just that they were teaching, but that they were proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. And they seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail till the next day. But many who heard the message believed. So the number of men, that's not even including the women or the kids, just the men, because that's how the censuses were then. But many who heard the message believed. So Peter and John just get arrested. Many who heard the message believed.

So the number of men who believed grew to about 5,000. So Luke paints two scenes here for us. Luke is the author of the book of Acts, and they're happening simultaneously. One is, in one room, Peter and John are arrested and they are on trial. And they know that it could be their life on the line because Jesus just got crucified. And in another room, about 2,000 people are getting saved. So there's this thing that's happening. The religious leaders thought that they had interrupted the revival that was taking place, because by this point, if you read through the book of Acts up till chapter 4, about 3,000 men are noted to have gotten saved in the community. But Luke points out that they hadn't even slowed down revival yet. See, resistance is coming, but the revival hadn't stopped. See, notice the contrast. The leaders of the Sanhedrin were disturbed. Like, they were upset. They were mad. They seized Peter and John. They put them in jail. But it says that many still believe the message that was preached. This word, but, is like the biggest hope-filled. I didn't mean to do that. That was on accident. It was the biggest hope-filled word.

That's why we said last week we like big butts. But the word, but, is one of the most hope-filled words in the passage. Why? Because it tells us that God's work, if you're taking notes, this is a perfect one to write down, it tells us that God's work isn't dependent on favorable circumstances. See, a lot of us think that God is only moving when circumstances seem conducive to that. But when there's resistance, but see, the apostles were literally confined because of the message that they were preaching. But the gospel was still bringing freedom. Like, there was something that was happening. The healing may have opened the door, but the preaching of the gospel produced faith, which actually echoes Romans 10, 17. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It's literally fulfillment of other scriptures that is happening, which is actually consistent with Luke's intent throughout the entire book of Acts. Because we see this, we see the church, right? It starts growing with the Jewish community in Jerusalem. And then all of the resistance happens, and Acts 8, something changes. You can start to see after Stephen's martyrdom, which we'll see here in the near future, something shifts because then it starts going out

to the Gentile nations, because the believers went out and started spreading the word of God. And so they started hearing it. They started spreading it. And that is what Luke is trying to get us to see. Because see, the miracle gathered the crowd. It's one thing to see. Like, we have to see it. talked about last week, it's one thing to see people as a miracle of what God is doing. It's another thing to see the unadulterated gospel spread and the church begin to grow because Jesus Christ is preached and we can see him active in all of our lives. And this is why I believe that the Sanhedrin wasn't even upset about the beggar. Like the beggar that was healed, they wasn't even upset about that. They were alarmed because the apostles were proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ publicly. The very truth that they were actually trying to suppress, imagine being one of the believers, one of these new believers, one of the people that just gave their life to the Lord. You hear Peter preaching, he's preaching the pain off the walls, he ain't even got a microphone. I mean, people are getting saved by the flocks, by the loads, the altars are going crazy. You surrender your life to Jesus. And before the service is even over, Pastor Peter gets arrested. Now, nowadays, if we're honest, modern day Christians would probably think, well, that ministry didn't work out, did it? Pastor probably had some hidden sin in his life. You know, he probably had some stuff going on, I mean, or otherwise this wouldn't be happening. I mean, honestly, let's be honest, we would ride a gossip bandwagon long before we ever go to the source to get the facts. People quietly question with assumptive motives while whispering statements that sound similar to the serpent.

Do you think God really said, and this will be on a phone call to one of our friends at church, do you think God really told them to do that? Do you think, anytime I see a statement like that, it was the serpent back in Genesis, and he was whispering lies, getting somebody to question what God had already told them. But see, that's what's happening with people, and that's what would happen nowadays if the pastor got arrested after he was preaching the gospel, and it was just moving through. But here they were, encountering opposition for doing nothing but holding to the standard of the gospel. That happens in church still today, don't it? Because standards of the gospel are magnified, and you see them, they're arrested, they're here. The arrest of the opposition actually wasn't evidence that God stopped moving. In fact, it was happening while God was moving. You see this opposition while God is moving. One of the greatest lies that I believe that believers face is, if I'm following God, that life should just get easier. It's all good, everything should just go away. But the Bible never teaches that. Actually, you see Jesus teach in John 16, 33, that I have told you these things, I've given you all of this information, I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. That in me, because I need you to rely on me, I need you to lean into me, that in me you should have peace, because in this world you will have trouble. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. That's why we've got to lean into him. Here, church, the presence of resistance is not necessarily the absence of God's favor. Sometimes resistance is the evidence that the kingdom of darkness actually recognizes what's about to happen. It recognizes that there is a warrior in the kingdom that God is about to use, and he's shaking some stuff up, because there's about to be thousands of people impacted through

that person's life, and he wants to try to take you out. He wants to try to do everything in you that he can to get to silence you, to get you to just sit down quiet, to be able to remove you from whatever it is, and this critical observation here in just a second that I want to make is something that I think should be alarming to us, especially as believers. Because there's a critical thing that happens, because oftentimes we will question our call of God on our life because things are happening. We will question everything. We will question God. We will question all that, and then sometimes we can even take a message like this, and we can say, okay, okay, yeah, resistance meets revival. Yeah, I need revival in my life, and man, I've just had all this stuff just coming at me, man, one thing after another, and it's just like, okay, pastor, thank you for reminding me that this is—hold on, hold on, wait. Because this observation was that opposition came because they were faithfully proclaiming Jesus. I know, nobody wants to hear this, but this wasn't Peter and John suffering because they made poor decisions. This wasn't Peter and John suffering because of the consequences of sin. This was not Peter and John in jail because they were recklessly living their life. They were in jail because they were obedient. Yeah See there's something that happens when you receive opposition because you're holding to the standard of the gospel There's a there's a thing that happens when you're holding to what the bible has told you to live to And people want to look down on you people want to talk crazy to you They get you to question in it's the standard that i'm trying to hold them to biblical Like is this even real like dang, man? I love this person like dang, man I love that like why does it have to be but see this is the stuff that has happened and there has literally been moments in my lives Specifically over the last nine years of running ministry of just doing life that I have genuinely wondered if I missed god Wondered if I wasted four years in bible college wondered if I

Man, if I should just give up and throw it all away not because god wasn't faithful But because the presence of resistance was so real in my life Financial pressure that nobody understood the Like god, we just need a breakthrough. Like how are we going to do this? How are we going to do that? Like you called me to this and I don't even feel like this is happening I mean people are saying this and people are saying that they're spiritual warfare The pressure stuff that's happening criticism people don't even understand both sides of the story, but they got the narrative And they're pretty They got it all understood they know what they would do if they was the pastor of a church of 500 but yet But yet we struggle in leading our own families Like we we get into these positions and and and there's betrayal And sleepless nights and moments that nobody else notices. Come on. I know i'm not the only one in the room I know i'm not the only one in the room that has had this literally moments Where it felt like every step forward that you took was met with two steps of opposition Like multiple phone calls in a day Like it didn't matter what decision was made and how it was made like there was just something that was coming against you And if I measured god's blessing by the absence of resistance, I would have quit years ago I would have never been where i'm at today and not that i've made it trust me Paul says not that i've made it but i'm not looking back I'm forgetting the things which are behind me and i'm pressing on to the things that are with your head Because I have a goal that i'm pressing into I got a direction that i'm heading to I got somewhere else to go And i'm not looking behind me because what happened behind me that was just faith builders to get me to the next season To get me to the next place because i'll oh I keep the grass cut I keep the grass cut now. I ain't got worried about I ain't gonna trip on that one again You ain't gonna you ain't gonna catch me up. And and when I look back now I realized something That many of the seasons with the greatest pressure

Were also the seasons that god did the most in people's lives that grew our church Not not not numerically but spiritually Jesus had 12 that he did life with i'm cool with 12, too Like we ain't gotta have 1200 If the lord wants that hey, whatever be his will but i'm happy with a bible study in my living room. Yeah faithfully serving god faithfully moving forward faithfully doing these things I have seen and looking back I can see What I couldn't see then and it was that god was working even when we were worrying That's good All right Well god, how are you gonna do that? How are you gonna make that? How are you gonna fill that gap? How are you gonna do that god? We need leaders. How are you gonna? How are we ever gonna grow god? I don't even know how we're gonna you want us to buy a building for how much oh, man That's gonna be a lot of money. How are we gonna do that? Because I know what's in the bank and he's like, yeah, I know what I got in the bank Don't you trip and i'm like, okay. Yeah, I know but but god i'm gonna need you to show up and he's gonna say No, I need you to sit down He said I need you to shut up I need you to be still and know that I am god because if I have placed this in you I will not put something in you that I won't carry you through I won't get you to a place to just leave you standing there See don't mistake opposition for god's absence Because when the what the enemy tried to silence From this passage god continued to multiply it Because he tried to silence peter and and john through the sanhedrin But 2 000 people more got saved Right there in the midst of it. And then the second truth is this Revival requires the spirit. I almost called this one revival. What was it? Requires more than human resolve

But that was kind of confusing. I thought to people so I just said revival requires the holy spirit Amen And let's talk about it because acts 4 verse 7 says Is this that they had Peter and John brought before them to question them and asked him by what power or What name do you do this and then Luke notes in chat or in verse 8? Then Peter Filled with the Holy Spirit, which is what power neither So that was the power that he did this by now notice the question that the Sanhedrin asked By what power and by what name and ironically they asked the exact question that Luke wants every reader to answer And that's how does a fisherman stand before the most powerful religious court in Israel without fear? because if you've ever read this passage and you go back to Luke the end of Luke like verse 23 or I mean passage or Chapter 23 24 and you read it How does someone who denied Jesus to a little servant girl and the exact same spot just a few weeks ago? Jesus Was like hey, did you this little servant girl came up to him and asked him? Hey, aren't you a follower of this man? He said no way Jose Nope, I'm not I don't know him and then did it another time to the same little to the same little servant girl and now all of the Sudden he's boldly proclaiming Jesus to the men who just condemned Jesus and It's what it shows us in verse 8 is how he did it was Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit That's the difference Luke Intentionally reminds us that Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit and that this was a fresh Feeling is what many of them said because Peter had already received the Holy Spirit of Pentecost two chapters ago Now all of the sudden it says that Peter filled with the Holy Spirit Begins to announce something that was happening. See this wasn't a second salvation It is God empowering presence for a particular assignment

Because that's what we need. Sometimes we need God to just come in Hey God, give me the give me the power that I need to walk into this moment Give me the power that I need to to get into this because this is something deeper than what I can actually deal with This is something bigger than myself. The Holy Spirit wasn't just given to help believers feel God presence It was actually given to help believers faithfully represent Christ, even when pressure is applied Even when pressure is greatest even when it's given so that we would have power to witness so we would have power This is the same exact Peter same city same religious leaders very likely the same exact courtroom that just a few weeks earlier Peter crumbled in and And He wasn't even intimidated by soldiers. I Could understand if he had this these big centurion guys pressing down on get a little servant girl Yes, I meant it Are you sure? Yes, I don't you know I'm saying like like How did you know no I did I did not know that man And now all of a sudden he's got all of these rulers Standing in front of him. I Mean literally people that have the authority Commentary said to put people to death without even going to the political powers That's how much power that these people had and now he's seen it for him. What changed it wasn't his personality It was two months How much could somebody change in two months? It wasn't his education. We'll see that next week It wasn't his confidence. It was a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit then. That's it It's the Holy Spirit. It's the separating detail. Well, how do I get that you ask the Lord? You ask him He said if you was to ask me for the Holy Spirit Would I not give it to you if a father was to ask you or if a son was to ask you for bread? Would you give him a stone? I? Mean he says these things and it's like well Why wouldn't see the details this detail is important because many Christians think that boldness is just a personality trait

Yeah, well pastor. That's easy for you because you can get up on the stage Oh, y'all don't know what I've had to work through behind the scenes Wrong. Y'all don't know what it's like to get up on the stage sometimes It anyways, we ain't gonna talk about all that stuff because it's inappropriate But there are things that just because you see my boldness that that doesn't matter like like what happens when I'm in a room of People that I don't know see Luke says boldness is the fruit of the dependence on the Spirit It's easy for us to admire Peter's boldness, but very few of us cultivate Peter's dependence Good See we want the courage, but we don't want the heartfelt communion So we want power without submitting to prayer We want boldness without daily surrender to the Holy Spirit God, yeah It's crazy some of the things that I have seen Peter didn't suddenly just become a different man He was the same man, just fully yielded to a different power. It was the same person, two months ago. I've met some people in my life that I met two months ago and I could tell was a different person because they have the Holy Spirit active agent in their life. And there have been moments in ministry where I walked into conversations where I didn't feel qualified to have counseling marriages that was falling apart, standing at bedsides at hospitals with no answers, preaching after devastating tragedies like I had to a few weeks ago, handling conflict resolution that nobody wants to do. And in those moments, I realized I didn't need better opinions. I needed a word from the Holy Spirit because they needed a word from the Holy Spirit. And looking back, honestly, some of the words that people have thanked me for the most weren't carefully planned. They were unctions. They were moments where God gave grace that extended beyond my ability. I'd be saying stuff and it's like, they come back and tell you and you're like, I said, that's good. I should have wrote that down. I'm like, yeah, you said it.

I'm like, man, text that to me, would you? Because that's good. And it's the, it's the same thing that happened here with Peter. Look at what Jesus told him in Matthew 10. Sorry, this is just me. I'm just revealing what I was reading this week. And it's amazing because when you look at scripture, see Matthew 10, Jesus was with the disciples and he says, hey, when they arrest you, he's talking to Peter and John. He said, when they arrest you, don't worry about what to say or how to say it. Because at that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the spirit of your father speaking through you. It's like, how did I never see that in Matthew 10 when I was reading Acts 4? Peter isn't inventing courage here. He's experienced the fulfillment of Jesus's promise in Matthew 10. Why? Because God never calls you into a place where a spirit won't empower you to stand. This pressure didn't produce Peter's boldness. It revealed the spirit's power. You can't do it. Revival requires the spirit. The third truth is this. Revival always points people back to Jesus. If resistance meets revival, right? We're seeing revival. What is revival? Revival is the heart of people burning for Jesus. Lives are being surrendered. People are giving over. Acts 4, 9 says this. If we're being, this is Peter now talking back, if we're being called to account today

for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame, and you are asking about how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel, it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Peter is standing before some of the most powerful religious court in Israel, and he literally has every reason in the world to protect himself. He could come up with all kinds of stuff. He could have softened the message. He could have simply just said, man, God healed him. God did. It ain't me. God did it. But instead, Peter does something remarkable. He don't let the miracle become the headline. He keeps Jesus as the headline. He keeps Jesus at the forefront of everything. The Sanhedrin asked him two questions. He said, by what power and by what name? And Peter frames his response. He doesn't say, hey, it was our faith. Man, it was our ministry. Man, we was out grinding, and man, this is what happened. Man, God is really using us to just do fantastic things. And no, he says, hey, it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and nothing else. It is him who will get the glory no matter what I'm going through. My situation isn't going to silence me. Anything that I'm dealing with isn't going to silence me. Not even your threats are going to silence me. Not all of the gossip that is going on around me because of what is happening to me is going to silence me.

Nothing is going to silence me. I'm going to stand with Jesus, and I'm declaring the gospel no matter what my situation looks like, even if it looks like everybody is against me, even if everybody is against me. I'm still going to preach the gospel. I'm not going to stand down. I'm not for sale. I'm not none of that. I am going to honestly, obviously, always magnify Jesus before anything and everyone and everything, because this is just what happens. It has to. One of the hermeneutical principles. I know you love that word. I've said it so many times. People's looking it up. Like, what does that even mean? Well, you can look it up and find out because I'm running short on time to explain it. But one of the things that happens in this moment is Peter. tells them again whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead see one of the hermeneutical principles principles is the principle of repetition this is the third time that you see this phrase in the book of Acts already and Peter tells the Sanhedrin themselves he said it's becoming more and more direct with every sermon that I preach that this is what it is he says no matter who Peter or no matter who stands before me whether it's the crowd whether it's the worshipers whether it's the rulers the message never changes and God just he begins to reveal by what power this is happening by by what is what is taking place and he says by what power and by what name and the Sanhedrin keeps trying to put Jesus on trial after the resurrection and Luke is revealing to the readers that this is what's taking place think about the narrative they tried Jesus they condemned Jesus they crucified Jesus God raised Jesus now they arrest Peter and he keeps preaching the same Jesus that they crucified

they're still trying to suppress the resurrection and Peter's repetition whom you crucified isn't just reminding them of the story it's exposing that they still haven't accepted God's verdict they still haven't accepted what it is and I actually think that's why Peter repeats this formula because the resurrection is God's public reversal of the Sanhedrin's judgment this is God saying hey what you thought happened people may render a verdict over your lives people can say one thing about you but God's verdict has the last stand nobody else can put on you something that God didn't put on you so quit letting people speak over your life in such capacity quit letting the voices of the mourners that ain't got no authority over people that got influence of a gnat are changing the trajectory of your life well they just said who cares what they said put your boots on I need to tie them tight only get ready because it's gonna get worse people people are gonna talk about you in ways that you didn't ever even think that they would talk about me too doll but they not and it's okay because there's a gospel that is supposed to be preached and you're supposed to preach it you're supposed to deliver the message that's right and as what happens is we often spend our lives trying to avoid difficult situations but Peter saw difficult situations as opportunities to magnify Jesus see that's the difference what if we started using everything that we was going through instead of saying man I'm going through this how do I get out of this and we begin asking how can Jesus get the glory through all of this how can God be glorified through everything see the goal the goal of revival is never to simply that our lives just become easier the goal is that Christ becomes more visible in everything that we do literally everything that we do like we need to see revival we need to see God do something one of my greatest prayers have never been God would you just make pastor Adam more famous they're nothing but God would you just would you just let them know who I am I mean cuz God they just need I mean would you would you know because here's the truth I talked to I talked about this a few weeks ago if you walk out of here and

all you ever knew was reach KC we failed our job here we failed our mission as a church if you walked out of here and you was just like man the worship at reach KC is kicking man they just got it going on y'all do but definitely if that's all we talked about guess what we missed it if we walked out of here and said man that preacher was preaching today his preaching was preaching guess what we missed it you really missed it but if we walk out of this place and we say man Jesus changed my life in there it is undeniable the things that happened in that place God wrecked me in there something happened to me and and and I know for a fact that that it's true and I want to just I want to remain in whatever happened in that room and I just I can't deny it Jesus changed my lives Jesus did it yeah he used us guess what he used a donkey to go back and read the King James Version of what that is donkey It can use me promise you you can use you It can use any of so let's not let's not get into this place where we expect opposition not to come We should make that every victory Every miracle every transformed life every open door point back to Jesus in our life because it's all about him Church It's all about Jesus and When resistance is coming against us and it meets in the middle of revival guess what the gospel still advances the Spirit still empowers and Jesus still receives the glory So no matter what you're going through today Can I encourage you especially that if you are going through something because you've stood to a standard in your life? Because you've stood to the gospel because you've stood to something that God has told you on your convictions to stand to can I encourage? You to let you know that God is going to get the glory out of everything that you have had to endure Because of standing on the witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's okay Be encouraged know that it's gonna come that hardships are gonna come and Jesus will get the glory out of all of it It's okay. I

Can't have everybody stand with me for just a moment I believe that Right now the Lord is Speaking to some hearts before anybody moves did and There are some of the rule Today that have been filling pressure Maybe you've never had a personal relationship with God, but you want to do that today and you don't even know what that means But you've been feeling something inside of you through this service and and you just say man I don't know what it is. But right now you're like, I think that's what it is Whatever you're talking about and if that's you hey, maybe you've never had a relationship with God Maybe you've had one for a long time a long time ago but you've walked away from the Lord and you have not been walking a passionate relationship with the Lord and You want to do that today? No matter what it is Been a long time never done it before if you want to just do that today and you say pastor I want to I want to surrender today I don't even know what you mean But that I think that's what I want to do and I want to walk this thing out And and I want to have a passionate relationship with God Can I just get you to slip up your hand real quick? Well, it's the first time our first time in a long time. Come on anybody else any anybody just come on Just just hold up your hand. I don't what don't worry about what anybody else around you is thinking If that's you if you maybe you didn't raise your hand and you just say man I need I need that maybe Maybe you just stumbled in here today trying to get connected to a church and said man I just need to get connected to some people that can walk through life with me if that's you Can I just get you to step out of your seat if you raised your hand or you just want to get connected like that? Can I come on I know maybe you didn't raise your hand but you just say hey, I need to get connected I need to be a part. I believe I Answered in my spirit, but I don't know. I was scared to raise my hand. Come on. We know we've seen we've seen you

The Lord sees your heart Maybe you're in here and you just say hey, you know what? I need to just spend a moment with the Lord and just press in Because I've been having some resistance that I've been misunderstanding and God I pray that you would do What only you can do as we begin to just come on somebody Great Normally These Oh, yes, we Oh We 🎵 Hi, I'm Tim Stalder, Reach Homes Director. We just wanted to thank you for taking the time to watch today's sermon, and we hope that the message spoke to your heart. We understand that people who are in your situation often feel overlooked and pushed aside, and we just want to let you know that we do consider you as a part of our church family. Upon your release, we look forward to you paying a visit to us. While you're incarcerated, take the time to reach out and write to us. If you're looking for safe, stable housing, reach out to Reach Homes. Your IPO or your caseworker can help you navigate that process. We look forward to seeing you again next week, and have a great day.