How Did We Actually Get The Bible? - Theology for the Rest of Us Part 2

0:00 I would say the worship team got to the throne of the day. Amen. Was that good? Today is going to be just a very heartfelt, probably an emotional Sunday for many of us and and just amazing. God's doing some great things and I just want to celebrate God's goodness today if I can. There's amazing passage in First Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 16. And if you if you know this, there's a couple pieces of it. You're going to see that some of the two shortest verse in the Bible and my stage play is not working. So I'm Steve is back here. OK, we're good. So help me out here. Rejoice when, always pray when and give thanks in what for this in the will of God and for you in Christ Jesus, Amen. And I think about these three things about joy and about prayer and about giving thanks and gratitude. And it's real interesting because you really can't have one without the other two.

0:52 If you're a person of prayer, you, you have joy in your life, you have gratitude, life, you have gratitude, you're a person of prayer and joy. This all these just work together. And this season, this is the verse of this season. And if you can memorize this, some of this, by the way, rejoice always come on somebody, you just memorize the verse, Amen. Pray continually. You mentioned that second verse, Amen. Jesus wept is the shortest by letter count, but these two tie it for word counts, Amen. So you guys can be like, I memorize 2 scriptures a day just back-to-back, right? I've been teaching this with my daughter. She's going through it and I was like, oh, this is awesome. So, but this virtually summarizes this season for us. So a couple things we'll celebrate. Number one, we had one person start relationship with Jesus last week.

1:33 Amen. Never gets old. Paul says there's more rejoice in heaven over once in repentance than 99 who do not need repentance. And so heaviness erupts when people come to Christ. And that's why we do this. We've really never lost that mission and never forgot what it's like to to be lost and to be found and that that prodigal church that looks for people just fantastic. I'd also say this is a crazy stat. Stats are kind of whatever, but this was just crazy. So if you look at last Sunday, the sun before, and you go back a year to 2025, look the exact same Sunday, we are 40% larger than last year, the same Sunday. Is that crazy? This is like mind numbing. Like, yeah, 80% of churches are plateaued or dying.

2:14 OK, So we've got 40%. It's like, OK, Lord, like something's happening. And we're just like riding the coattails like a kite flying the God's grace. Amen And so I'll say thank you guys have been inviting and bringing and there's a lady on our tear down team and she just started out and she's like, man, I, I can't, I've been doing this for 8 weeks and I can't believe you guys been doing this for eight years. And I'm like, yeah, it, it's a grind, Amen. Like it nothing dies easy, you know, I mean, we're chasing things right now all the time, every every Sunday. But God's good. Amen And it's kind of like these things like tell the belt in cinema and all this stuff. There's a sentence that a man told me he goes, you're like a 10 year overnight success. I thought, man, what a great way of saying it.

2:55 Amen Because like we don't need another church in this town. It's like we're we've been here, we've been here, we've been grinding. Amen. Like I didn't know who we were, whatever, great. Like we've been behind the scenes, we've been set up tearing down being portable dinner thing and then as God just makes away. Amen. And so it's been one of the exciting seasons and I was thinking about what this bell and semi 8 would mean for our church and what it looks like. And our heart is really this it is that there'll be the number of people that will come to Christ because that space, it's just super exciting. Like I come in there and I like, you know, I'm doing all those inspections and hang out people and trust me, the place needs work, you know, but I'm in there.

3:35 I'm like, oh man, wouldn't it be crazy just to see people fill this place and come to know Jesus and be sent out? So I'm looking at this worship center, you know, it's like we keep the same seating by God's grace, right? And like people sitting here and I can just see the worship team. By the way, the worship today was just another level, man. It was another level. Like I'm just telling you, and maybe it's because I've been out of the vineyard long enough like this, the fruits really sweet because like you guys, me and Jared Diane, like the team, I mean, dude, holy smokes. We, I don't know how long we've been serving. Jared started playing like guitar when I was a youth pastor back in like 2007, you know, and to see his heart. And I was like, dude, we got to get this guy doing this more often. Amen. Like what passion? I mean, just unreal, but just amazing to see what God could do in that space and the kids and I mean just walk in. It's like it's our home.

4:22 We're proud of it. You walk in, it's set up. People are ready to receive and do the work of God and have their sacred spaces and these sacred moments all throughout that space. So if you get a chance, just be praying, you know, drive around that space 6 times, not 7 don't want to fall down, come on somebody, but just be praying. Like I know a lot of you guys have done that. It's just, it's just an amazing opportunity and not just for the young people come to Christ, but the number of people who will help other people come to Christ. Like it's not just about coming to like our facility. I, I hope our church never become just like a magnet And it's like sucks up at all the people and the you know, it's like we want to be ascending church, like we want people to come, get healed and then get grown their faith and then get sent out. Amen. Like a launching type of church, Like it's not come and sit.

5:04 I know Barry said earlier, I mean, we love people coming, but the goal of, to be a Christian is to know Jesus and tell the people about Jesus. And so I just get really excited about how many people commissioned for life groups and for overseas and for impacting the nation's through a space like that. And you know, our world, like Belden's like, oh, who's this church? But amazing to say who's the name of Jesus to people who never know the name of Jesus through a space like that. Like that's what excites me. Like I know there's a lot of like structure and things that have to happen And there's a building. I get it. Like I live in the world every day right now, but man, my heart is way bigger than we could even see. And we we have this vision frame and and maybe I just need to cast vision more often, but my heart behind this, there's really three things is multiplication.

5:45 And I'll just read it because I probably wrote it better than I'll ever say it. But I see a church that reaches beyond our city by investing in coaching, ministry, residence and internships. See a church that multiplies new leaders, new gatherings, new disciple makers, new churches and new campuses across Kansas City and beyond. Real life will be the church that's proficient and professional at producing high caliper leaders for Christ. Amen. It's not just come and say this, let's produce, let's multiply, and let's go for the Kingdom. I think transformations, not as multiplication, but transformation. I see a church that perfects the art, which is a lost art by the way of taking lost people and develop them into disciple makers. Just that one thing changes everything.

6:26 Real life will be a Commission based church with commissioning hundreds of South Makers from our church into our city into the world to a Prince people to Jesus. We'll add deep value in people's lives month through Saturday. They can't wait to come and gather on Sunday. Last thing is restoration. Just a church full of freedom. Amen. Like you can't have the gospel and have just head knowledge, it has to transform lives. And so we think addiction recovery, grief, share, financial legacy, divorce, care, restoration, restoration, housing and mentorship, jail ministry, just powerful ministries to restore people into God's purpose, Amen. This is the heartbeat. This is like, why do we do this building? Like it's like, oh, it's about the, it's not about the building.

7:06 Like as we all get excited about the, the steel and the structure and the seeds, it's about Jesus and his name being made famous. Amen. But here's what's really cool. We, we wrote this vision. I have this vision frame. We, we adapted every year and, and some goals stay on, some don't. And so last year we had updated this goal and I'm going to read it verbatim. And I want you to see what God did this kind of like a North Star document for us. This vision frame. We had a mid range goal in 2025 for two to four years is for space and places here was to raise 1,000,000 in capital for a permanent church facility. And last year we had commitment Sunday and we committed. We topped out right there at 1,000,000. Remember that guy's praise Jesus. So we hit the goal.

7:47 So you guys are doing that this next year, this year, next year and to move into two to four year goal. A 20,000 square foot space off the highway close to intersection of 49 and 58. God is good, Amen. That's like I should have wrote a bigger number. You know, it's like bringing a bigger cooler when you go fishing, you know, just catch a bigger fish. But it just got in his goodness, Amen. And if you look at this, you're like, we have been preparing and planning and praying and you guys have been giving and stepping out of faith. And then God brings an opportunity. So thank you, Jesus, Amen. And so I just continue to ask you guys to continue to pray for divine favor, divine appointments. We have a lot of infrastructure in that space. Everything basically needs updated. If if you've been there, you know, parking lot to roof to HVAC, there's going to be a lot of infrastructure going in.

8:30 But thank you, Jesus, it's for ourselves. Amen. So let's put a little equity back in and we'll just sweat it out. We'll get where God needs us to go. But I mean, we're excited for what God's doing today. I want to give a little more honor to some runners do this. Last week we had some help, cleaned up some the Tornadoes, tornado I should say. And we went to Tessa's house and she had the tree through her car and all sorts of stuff. We gave you guys an amazing, really huge on ramp of time of one hour. Come on, somebody. And we texted you guys and was like, all right, we're going to be there in an hour. And we had 15 people show up and we cleaned up this tree and logged some stuff out. And legit from when I got out of my truck until I got back in my truck was 40 minutes. Thank you, Jesus.

9:15 Amen, because if you all didn't show up, I'm back there for four or five hours, you know, but we got it done. And so just that's just the culture of real life. Like there's been so many times where it's it's just like, Hey, this person needs to be out and we got to help them move and just boom trucks and trucks to people and just amazing. So thank you guys for being church that loves on people and carries for people. I want to give some big honor today. There's a family church. We we said they're leaving, but they're really launching and it's Scott and Dana, Jermaine family. You got Jordan, Marissa, Ashton, Lauren, the whole crew. They have built a house up north kind of on North Kansas City, Liberty somewhere out there, beautiful home. They're moving in this week. God's called up. They got amazing ministers. They're going to jump into between the school, closer to kids, close to family, got some acreage. Come on, somebody.

10:00 But man, they have been a godsend to our church. And if you don't know them, you've been impacted by them, even if you don't know them. So start thinking about this. And I was like, man, we've been doing ministry together, but between Scott and Dan and I for over 15 years, Like we, we start out then youth ministry and serving kids and they've opened up their home and we'd go over there and just, I mean, hundred hundred plus kids, their house. And we first launched real life. Some of the some of the first donors signed in blood by the way, have served faithfully ever since and the whole ride between kids areas and setup and tear downs elders in our church, I'm missing life groups open that youth group, their house. I don't know, five years, I don't know something crazy.

10:41 Amen. So, so we've, we've been like standing on their shoulders every step of the way. And I can truly say that we would not really be here or the, the space we're in without them because the, the love and the prayer and not just talk, but actually action. And so I, I think of them. I think of this phrase that open handed people play star roles in the Kingdom and they've been extremely open handed and God has promoted them in the star roles, even if you don't know that they don't want to be the star, but God just has a way of promoting the humble and they've done amazing. And so I just want to give some honor. They're right here in the 2nd row. There's a group. I mean, did you guys give it up for them and let them? We love them today. So fantastic. You, you guys might be like, where's where's, where's that Scott guy? Where's Dana?

11:24 It's like, you know what they're doing? They're plowing ground and they're taking ground for Jesus up north. Amen and so I love that just launching out and that's what churches do, but also they're not disappearing this in the funeral. Come on, somebody like didn't die, you know, and if not went to heaven, but we're on the same team doing the same thing. Just refill for Christ. So continue to pray for them. You'll see these guys around. I know they're not just disappearing on face the map. Scott still help out with real life men. So you're going to be around. But man, they I cannot tell you. I just say thank you for letting me stand your shoulders. There's some people where you grab their coattail and if they believe in it, you're just going to get behind it and to, to believe like they believed in us and we didn't have anything but a vision. Like we, we had nothing there when the team there wasn't a facility, there wasn't, there was nothing.

12:09 And they believed in US. And so we get behind you and support us. And it's just like does something for me with my faith and I know it's just not me. There's, there's many people in the church that have been discipled, cared for, loved on this. We've stood on your shoulders and so many ways. So thank you guys one more time, give it up one more time for these guys. I'm going to try to avoid crying this morning. There's been tears already. I was even listening to worship and the song that Jared LED this morning, heart abandoned that was launched a song. Some of you guys were there, but that that song happened the first Sunday, September 17th, 2017. I was still at exact same spot and the God just burned something new and it was because Jermaine's and many other people like you guys that allowed that to happen. And we're in the season of shifting gears and maybe it is facility and it's like heart abandoned.

12:52 Man, what a what a song, you know, but today I'm going to jump in the Bible. I I know I've probably burned more time, but it was good. Amen. And I don't have a clock, so somebody got to help me a little bit, but it's going to be good. But how do we get the Bible so the out of the rest of us? And I don't think God ever intend the Bible to be complicated. It's not written to scholars. It's written to everyday people really by everyday people, a lot of different people. But as a as a person, you want to follow Jesus. We want to how to get the Bible. You're asking questions, right? Like if I'm gonna give my life to this, is this book reliable? Like, like, where'd it come from? Like, like, was this by God? Was this through people? Was was this edited? Was this made-up? Is this a fable? Can't I build my life on Scripture and also start with this thought today?

13:38 It does take faith to believe in the Bible. But I will tell you, it's not blind faith. It's not blind faith. It does take faith though. Amen. It does take a step, but I would consider this, if you believe in Alexander the Great or if you believe in Abraham Lincoln, I would encourage you to have the same kind of optic or same kind of intellect or same kind of scrutiny of history for those people as you do for the Bible, Amen. Because some people will use the Bible and they'll say, well, it it's possible this and this and it's possible to this and it's possible this, but it's about probability, Amen. You can't really repeat anything in history. It's possible Abraham Lincoln didn't exist. We can argue that it's actually more probable that the absolutely great didn't exist based on historical evidence than Jesus existed, Amen?

14:27 There's 5000 Greek manuscripts that point to Jesus that were written by eyewitnesses. Now they were, they were copied over, say, autography and manuscripts. But when you know what's going on and you look at and you scrutinize and you have questions, actually build your faith, Amen. So, so I'd say my prayer request today for you guys is that you would not be hypocritical, critical in your intellect. You wouldn't be hypocritical in your approach to Scripture, that you would give the same level of faith to the things you believe in. You look at the Bible and give the same level of scrutiny and you can scrutinize the words and God will still show you. And so if you study out, whether it's manuscripts or historical things or, or inside evidence or outside, whatever approach you go to, the more, you know, I've always found that people, I know their faith always increases, Amen.

15:10 But it's a lot of people I meet a lot of people, they will just write off the Bible and say, well, it's, it's not possible. It's just this. And they'll make a bunch of excuses because they don't want their life to be subjected to a living God. And I just see it right off the bat. So I'd encourage you guys to come with a humble approach to Scripture. You know, all things are possible, but what is actually probable, Amen. So I'll give you the foundation that there's a lot I could probably preach, like a whole six weeks on this. You're gonna get like 20 minutes. OK, Today I'm gonna give you the foundation, like the very basic footing of how we got Scripture. It's called inspiration that the Bible is actually inspired by God. So if you got your Bible, we're going to second Timothy 3 verse 12.

15:53 This is Paul's letter to his protege in the faith to Timothy. This is Paul's last letter he wrote. So this is like his sign off. This is like his ending. This is his last words. And this what he tells Timothy. He says, in fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be what helped me out will be what? Persecuted. OK, so if you're getting persecuted and the world feels against you, guess what? You're in God's will. Amen. Because it it's going to be hard. It's going to be difficult. We're running uphill says while evil doers and imposters go from bad to worse. Does this sound like 2026 to you or what? Right. The world is full of this deceiving and being deceived. Verse 14 but As for you talking to Timothy, continue in what you have learned and become convinced of because of those because you know those from who you have learned it and what Paul is saying there, he's saying the Bible is really not the only book you read.

16:56 What what what he's saying is it's not like for Timothy, you're going to see like it was his mom's faith, his grandma's faith. There was people in his life, dad, grandpa, whatever they're pouring into him and he knows based upon their character that these words are true. Amen. Like the person that's sharing the Scripture with you or how you live your life as a Christian, we talk about joy, prayer and gratitude. Guess what, not depend on any of your circumstances. Amen. Like the mark of the Christian, there's nothing to do about what's happening around you has to happen what's in you. And so you can choose those things no matter how hard it gets in your life. And what Paul's telling Timothy is when you hear these words that are spoken to you, don't forget who spoke them to you because you can bank on it. If God is faithful to them, he'll be faithful to you. Verse 15, he says how from remember how from infancy. So when he was born, you have known the Holy Scriptures. Who knows?

17:47 That's a good family. Amen, Amen. I didn't grow up in that not saying my family is bad or evil or something crazy. I did not grow up with the Bible. I did not. I can't. I can't say I knew from infancy. I knew when I was 15. Come on with somebody because somebody shared Jesus with me. But for Timothy, his mom, his dad, his parents, his grandparents, the people around him, they model things to Christ taught in the Scripture and look what it says about it, what you're able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. I always get nervous when people tell me like how they met Jesus and it doesn't involve Scripture just makes me a little nervous. Now, I'm not saying God doesn't speak through dreams. Come on somebody like I know he speaks through dreams.

18:29 I know he speaks especially the Muslim nations through dreams. I'm not saying God doesn't give visions. I'm not saying God doesn't do certain things, but it's very hard for me to believe that the Bible says that faith come through hearing and hearing through the word of God. And so when you hear the Bible, like when I heard the Bible very clearly for the first time in my life, I recognize I was a Sinner neo savior. It came through scripture. Amen And so for for Timothy, he came to faith because of Scripture. And so if somebody tells me like, well, I've always known Jesus, red alert, you know, nobody's born as a Christian, Amen. And and it's a personal choice. We don't, we don't all become Christians because one person can we, we make our own choice to humble ourselves and to call on Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

19:09 Amen. And and so there's a moment in time. So, but it goes with Scripture. That's one of the reasons we know the Scripture is because it makes us wise for salvation. It saves our soul and then Paul goes on to say verse 16. He says all Scripture, how much scripture, all scripture is what helped me out. God breathe. We'll talk about in a second is as useful for four things. And he's going to say teaching, which is sharing the word of God, what your life should look like, what direction should go and it navigates decisions for rebuking. That's really calling somebody out. This is the wrong path you're living life is in this is broken in your life and correction is the path you should go on. So rebuking is saying that's wrong and correction is saying, here's the way to go and training in righteousness. I love that.

19:52 Like if you want your life to be right with God, guess what? Know the scripture, Amen. Like this is your compass. This is your road map, this is your north star. This guides everything in your life. This is a filter through every decision for every thought for everything in your direction in your life goes through Scripture, Amen. It's not just, well, I'll just run the direction on a run. It's like, is this match up with the word of God? Has the Holy Spirit lead me, which is going to lead directly into the Word of God? Verse 17, it says that the so that the servant here's the purpose of God mainly thoroughly furnished or equipped for every good work. So if you know the word of God and you put into your life, then all of a sudden your life is useful for the Kingdom. The works of God go through you because you've been shaped and tempered and obedient to God himself. So the word God breathed, that's pretty interesting. Like God actually breathed the Bible. Do you guys believe God breathed the Bible? It's a pretty interesting word.

20:42 It's Theo, so God, and you had the word for nostril, nostris. So Theo nostris, it means the breath of God. And what he's basically saying is that Scripture comes from God himself, Amen. That every one of these words is actually coming from the heartbeat of God, from the authority of God, from the voice of God, from the intellect of God, from the leadership of God. This is coming from somewhere else. It's a sacred book, Amen. Amen. Like you're like, where do I go? Go to Scripture and you can see these words, like where they come from. Jesus tells us in John chapter 12, verse 44. This is interesting. These Pharisees and these Sadducees, these leaders are following Jesus, but they're too afraid to openly follow Jesus.

21:26 And so they're called secret disciples. And I know for most people there's probably a season where you're a secret disciple. Well, you don't your friends know you're going to church or you read the Bible in private. Nobody knows you're following God. And this is what Jesus tells these secret followers, people like Nicodemus, right, Joseph, Marathia, these are people that are secret disciples until Jesus died and they just mustered the faith when they saw him being crucified. But says this in John chapter 12 verse 44 says then Jesus cried out. He says whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but the one who what? The one who sent me. And so if you believe in the Son, you're actually also believing in the Father.

22:06 It's pretty amazing, Amen? And you get right with Jesus, you're actually right with the Father himself. Verse 45 says the one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me and often times feel like, man, I don't know what God looks like, just look at Jesus, Amen. Jesus is the perfect picture of the Father, His, his character, he what the words he speaks, everything he does is a perfect picture of the Father. Verse 46 that says I've come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. Verse 47, it says if anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person, for I did not come in to judge the world. So I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. Amen.

22:53 Thank you Jesus, that you come to save the world. This is John 317. I didn't come to condemn the world, but to save the world through myself, through Jesus. And so that's the good news. Amen. Got to go. Next verse though, there is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words, that there there is going to be an account because this is the standard by which we live. He says the very words I've spoken will condemn them at the last day. And so the words of Jesus, obviously the words of God, because Jesus, God, the book of the Bible is breathed by God. So it's the words of God. And this is our standard. We're accountable to this. And So what he's saying is in this lifetime we make a choice. And the next time lifetime we have to live with it. Amen.

23:40 Because a lot of people just dismissed the Bible like, oh, that's an old book. It's, it's a good teaching. You know, Jesus is a good moral teacher. Nobody's going to argue that Jesus didn't exist. He's found an extra biblical text all over the place. You can see that. But you're going to argue that this is actually the word of God and I can live my life on it. All of a sudden people like, yeah, I'm a little hesitant. I just, I have a personal relationship with God. I don't really do anything that looks like Jesus, but me and God are cool. It just does not work that way. Amen. You have to actually walk with Jesus. And so look at this verse 49 for I did not speak on my own. So every word of Jesus is not his says, but the Father who sent me commanded me to what helped me out say all that I have spoken.

24:23 I know that that his commands leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say. You know what's really cool? When you read the scripture and you see something that Jesus says, you hear his words. It's amazing to me. It's so humbling to know that those words were actually spoken between Jesus and the Father around the throne of God and are brought here for us. Like, how much different would we read the Scripture and humble ourselves if we knew those are conversations and past that Jesus had in heaven that just had an eternity past with the Father and he's delivering the Father's news to us. That's amazing. Amen. And so I read this book. It's not just any book, it's a living book of an insight into the heart of the Father and the heart of God himself. And so Peter learned this quite a while back and we're going to talk to a little story, the Peter. So going to be second Peter chapter 1. And Peter is writing to the underground church in Rome. He calls it Babylon in first and second Peter. This is where he's beginning to encourage these Saints that are being persecuted.

25:25 They're blamed for the burning down of Rome, which we knew Nero blamed the Christians. He said his own city on fire seeker rebuild. They wanted to and he blamed the Christians. They're being persecuted, being killed. They're being ran from every place. And so they they didn't write this to the Church of Rome. They wrote it to the Babel to Babylon so these people wouldn't be persecuted anymore. And this is what Peter says to him. He says, so I will always remind you of these things even though you know them and are firmly establishing the truth. You, you now have. And so he's going to say it again, like, I'm just going to remind you like a lot of you guys, you know what I'm saying today. Like you like, oh, yeah, I totally believe this is the word of God. I know this for sure. And what Peter's saying is I want you to know again, like I'm, I'm going to say it one more time, just in case you have any doubt in your mind. I was going to clarify.

26:09 This is his last book. Peter is not going to make it much further after he finished his writing. Second Peter like he he he knows he's going to die and so he says this verse 13. He says, I think it's right to refresh your what Yeah, I want to bring it back to mind. He says as long as I live in the tent of this body, as long as I'm physically here on earth. I'm just going to keep saying it and saying it and saying it because I know that I will soon be put aside as the Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me, he's rushed me back all the way. John 21 it really he's, he's being, you know, restored by Jesus. And Jesus tells him, your arms will be stretched out. They're going to take your clothes. You're going to go somewhere you don't want to go. You're going to LED somewhere you don't go.

26:50 And he was talking about his death. He was talking about his crucifixion. And so Peter like knew like at some point the gospel is going to cost me my life. And before I die, I just want to remind you of what my passion is and what my life is built on and why I'm willing to die and what my faith is built on. And so I'm going to remind you about this scripture. So he says this is verse 15 and I will make every effort, somebody say effort. I'll make every effort to see that after my departure, you will always be able to remember these things. This is Peter's legacy, Amen.

27:31 He he wanted like more than anything when I die, I still want you to remember that the word of God is from him and it's true and reliable is not made-up. That's what he wanted more than anything like I'm going to depart. But you still here whether it's our kids or the church or our influence. I want you to know that this Bible is real and you could build your life on it and God is faithful and to trust him. The most persecuted group probably in history. He is pulling them back to Scripture. Verse 16. He summarizes like this and said so well for we did not follow cleverly devised stories. Now think about this. When somebody is crucified and you still follow the person crucified, it's almost like you committed societal shame and you're it's, it's societal suicide because you're like this, oh, yeah, I'm with that guy you just crucified. And they were like, oh, no, you're not. Get out of here.

28:29 What are you talking about? You can never associate with that guy. But for those disciples and everybody who knew Jesus, their faith got bolder and the words got louder and they begin to share even more. Amen. Most people somebody crucified like I never met that guy in my life. I've never heard of Jesus. Why would I follow Jesus but for Jesus being crucified. These men stood up with bold faith and he's declaring they did not make up a clever devised story about this man that died on the cross. He was a man, a God man that rose from the dead. He says we have told you about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in power. But we were what? Help me out. Eyewitnesses of his what? His Majesty, what he's telling this group of people is we didn't make this up. Amen.

29:16 I mean, Pete Peters at the very beginning, people are doubting and they're worrying. He didn't write this because people had bold faith. He's writing it because their faith is being tested and he's telling them, hey, just do you know, we didn't make this up. Matter of fact, we were there. I was an eyewitness to what Jesus did on the cross. I was eyewitness to seeing his body resurrected. I was eyewitness when I ate the fish. And he's going to talk about some of these stories. But it's important to understand in the New Testament that every single book of the New Testament is actually directly linked to an eyewitness account because a lot of people say, oh, the Bible was written over all these centuries. Yeah, OK, we can talk about the Old Testament, but let's look at the New Testament. It's not written over all these centuries, OK? It's not made-up over 4 or 500 years. This all this is written within 60 years after Jesus died. Every single part of the New Testament. I want you to see that every book in the Testament ties back to an eyewitness account pretty good. You go to a courtroom, Amen.

30:10 You get an eyewitness testimony. So Matthew, we'll start with talk the New Testament scholars. So Matthew was, who was the disciple of Jesus, Amen. He, he, he was a tax collector. He, he lived with Jesus for 3 1/2 years. He knew everything. So he wrote this book of Matthew to the, to the Jews, tell him to understand who Jesus was, Who's the eyewitness account. So Mark, which is actually John Mark, he traveled with a man named Peter. And so when you read the book of Mark, it's actually through the eyes of Peter. And so when you read the book of Mark, you're like, this is really Peter's version of the Gospel. Amen. It's pretty amazing to think through like this is Peter's account like, well, Peter only wrote two books. Well, really, he influenced Mark heavily.

30:50 And so Mark knew eyewitness because he traveled with Peter. Luke, Luke was like meticulous, right? He's a doctor. He's interviewing all these people so he can put the most excellent account together. He even interviewed Mary herself. That's we have the song of Mary and the story of Luke. It's one of the it's was the longest gospel. That's why it's given the most details possible. So you know it to be true eyewitness accounts they took, took and wrote the book from. How about the book of John? The book of John is written by John, the disciple of Jesus loved, right? And he wrote first John, second John, third John Revelation. And this was the disciple. He's the eyewitness account of everything he saw. Amen. Amen. This isn't written by somebody 4 or 500 years later. That's just trying to manipulate the whole world.

31:32 How about Paul Now Paul didn't come along until after Jesus ascended into heaven but Jesus something he actually came back and he called him on the road Damascus and scholars believe that Jesus that Pete Paul man would have spent 3 1/2 years with Jesus in the wilderness. That's why Paul's called the last apostle cause to be an apostle always get it's always interesting to me. But this church is like apostle this and that apostles are people actually physically spent time with Jesus. Amen. So somebody says they're an apostle. I'm like, OK, interesting because Paul was the last apostle and he spent time with Jesus and he he went full on for the gospel wrote. We talked about last week so many books in the Bible, but he is an eyewitness, Amen.

32:17 He's not writing about something he never heard of or somebody told him 3 generations deep book of Hebrews. Interesting. We don't really know who wrote it. We don't really think it's Paul. There's a lot of scholars on it, but it's obvious that they talk to the apostles, the writing and the scripture itself. It lends the fact that they have eyewitness testament of all these things of the book of James. James is who? Help me out. Yeah. He's a half brother of Jesus. Amen. You think he has some eyewitness testimony? I get tickled to death, man, because like, as your siblings, you don't usually prop up your sibling too far. You know what I'm saying? You're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, sure, man. I know it's true, but I'm not going to tell somebody. And James, I mean James, those guys, nobody stood for Jesus to his hometown and they go throw him off a Cliff and he walked through the crowd. But when Jesus resurrects James, all of a sudden his faith is, is extreme.

33:06 Matter of fact, James is the first pastor of the Church of Jerusalem. James would be beheaded for his faith and his brother. That's pretty bold, isn't it? And he writes this book about putting your faith in action. Do something about it. Because I knew him. I grew up with Jesus, matter of fact. Then you got Peter, which we talked about obviously was an eyewitness. He traveled, he's a disciple with Jesus. And then you have Jude and Jude is another half brother of Jesus. You might not have known that. Now you read the book of Jude and it's like, holy smokes. And all these people I just named that I named 8 people. And we didn't know who wrote Hebrews. So there's nine New Testament writers that all are based upon eyewitness accounts of walking with Jesus. That's good news.

33:48 Amen. So when somebody tells to tell you like, oh, this is a cleverly devised fable. This book is just written. It's just made out by this. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. These, these are written by people who all died for their faith in Christ. All these people died in Maher's death besides John, and they tried to kill him. Every single people gave up their life for a lie. No, they gave their life because they knew who Jesus was. And it's amazing you go to courtrooms today and eyewitness accounts are not always like the greatest, but they're better than the second account. All somebody told me that's called hearsay, right? But if you go to court and you're an eyewitness, you could go on the stand. You can testify what you saw that stands up in the court of law. Amen. So it can be scrutinized, but Peter, he goes on verse 17, he says he being Jesus received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from majestic glory saying this is my son whom I love and with him I am well pleased.

34:43 He's quoting. If you saw that he put quotes. So Peter is going back in time and he's saying God received glory and honor from on high and he goes back to the bound transfiguration. Remember, Peter's like, I'll never let you die. And he Jesus says, get behind me, Satan. And then he restores him and he takes Peter, James and John and he goes up the mountain. Transfiguration. And the voice of the Father speaks to them. Behold, this is my son whom I loved him. Well, please. He cut the part out that said and listen to him because Peter was too busy trying to build altars, you know, and he just forgot about the glory of God. But that moment in time stuck with him forever because he heard God's voice in verse 18 he says we ourselves, you talk about James and John and him heard this voice that came from heaven when we were what with him. We were eyewitnesses that the father broke through the clouds and he spoke to the son.

35:38 We heard it with our own ears and he says on the what the sacred mountain. Now this is real interesting. This is really it's really good because there's moments in time of your life where God speaks to you. It's not just that moment is sacred. Actually the place becomes sacred as well. There's moments in your life where you'll never forget what God did in that space. We we we drove by last week. The church that I can't came to Christ in at blue is bad. This simple and I was with Holly and Diane. We were dropping off supplied the drapes some other church doing some stuff. So maybe just got to check it out, you know, and man, it was just like I remember there's potholes everywhere. Things fall down, come on somewhere. The youth, the flood. I was a youth pastor down there after I came to Christ when the college came back. So I know about it.

36:20 But I can look back and I'd be like, hey, right behind this door, you're going to walk 30 steps into this other room. And I knelt my knees and that's where I started relationship with Jesus. That's a sacred place for me, Amen. Because I heard from God in that room, in that space. And for Peter, like that was a sacred mountain. And those are mountaintop moments, by the way, when you when you when you never forget. Like that tree. I remember 2003. There's a tree right outside this Chapel of John Brown University. I went back there a few years ago, Drew. Drew took a youth group down there and I went out there with my son and I was probably 7, he was probably 7 a couple years ago. And we walked out and said, see this tree right here? This is where Dad surrender his life to whatever God won his life. This is the spot. This is a sacred spot, Amen. And I still talk to my son.

37:02 He'll say, yeah, Dad to that tree. I surrender my life too. Like he's supposed to be just like Dad because there's sacred mounds and sacred spaces, Amen. I was in a Chapel when I was in college and heard the story of Bob Hughes and this missionary subbu in the Philippines and, and just how God used his life. Like God, man, just use my life for that, God. Just use my life for missions and for your glory and just be open forever. You have Lord sacred spaces. You guys got sacred spaces because God spoke to you, Amen. It's not sacred for any other reason. It's sacred because you heard the voice of God and it lines up with his word, verse 19. We also have the prophetic message, some with the Bible as something. How's he describe it?

37:48 Completely reliable. That's good news, Amen. Like I could build my life on this, like these eyewitnesses, this all this guy you crucified and like I'm still with him. You can put him to death, but guess what? He lives, brother, He lives. He's more alive today than he's ever been. He's doing the work, work together with him and he's talking about the sacred mound, heard the voice of the Father talking to his son. That's what he says. You would do well to pay attention to it. Amen. Your life would be totally different if you did pay attention to what this is saying. If you could just put your nose to the Scripture as to a light shining in a dark place, that's amazing. Like think about the Bible as a light in the darkness.

38:30 It was a little dark in here earlier under the house lights went off or something, right? And and you put one light in the room and all of a sudden it's just enough to get through, right? Like the emergency lighting in a space and all of a sudden it just the Bible. It lights through the culture. The culture is crazy, by the way, just so you know, it kind of looks like Jerry Springer. Just so you know, it makes no sense. And I've, I'm not trying to make sense of it and I'm not trying to water anything down either. I'm not trying to like incorporate the world into the church. I'm just trying to follow Jesus, Amen, and build it on his scripture. And so whatever he says, we're going to go with because it's reliable. So the world's going right, we're going left, the world's going left, we're going right. We're doing what God calls to do. And he says until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, you should follow the Scripture. Until the day dawns, we talk until the eastern sky splits and Jesus comes back, you should follow Scripture. That's what he's saying.

39:26 Even how hard it gets in what direction it goes. Remember, he's talking to the most persecuted church in history and he's saying even the darkest moments and everything is falling apart that your life needs to follow what the Scripture says. Build your life on what's reliable. When I leave and I die and there's just a marker, if not even a marker, just remember that your life should build on Scripture because eyewitnesses, and he was one of them. He says this above all, verse 20. You must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. Amen, Amen. It just isn't just like somebody's opinion, since for prophecy never had its origin in what human will.

40:11 If you try to make scripture like just looking through all the books, it is impossible. For any human to have this much wisdom and put anything remotely close together of what's in this scripture, even if they were to try, but that's not happened. That's not what happened. Did not come from human. Well, didn't come from men. It wasn't a human system. This isn't like when you go to school and you study Greek mythology and you started Roman mythology and you hear about these fables and you read The Iliad and you read all these works of literature from the past. It's not on the same level. Amen. It's a whole nother level and there's so much evidence like I can't even get into today. The evidence for the manuscripts of how many are there and reliable that you look back to and you'd be like man, why did I question that there's so many.

40:58 He says for prophecy, not as origin human will, but prophets through though human spoke from God as they were what carry along by the Holy Spirit. It's pretty cool. God breathed that breath of God. It's like the Holy Spirit like moves a sail on a boat and just moved on people. And God breathed through people that they moved the pen, but God was writing the story. Amen. There's some guys where they were in jail and Paul would talk and somebody else would write the pen, but the Holy Spirit was moving through them for God to write his perfect word to us.

41:40 And so my question for you guys today is, is really simple. We talked about this morning earlier on joy, prayer and gratitude. And when you find that those sacred moments in your life, those are mountain top moments, Amen. But what Peter's talking to is a group of people in the valley. He's talking to people that are being persecuted and they're up against the wall and they don't know where they get the next meal. They don't know what's going to happen. They're confused. It doesn't like anything they'd ever dreamed of or desired, but God is in it. And so I would encourage you guys, if you've lost your joy, if you've lost your gratitude, if your prayer life is non existent, I would encourage you that you have to go back to the sacred space and create a sacred space in your life where God can speak to you because those mountaintop moments are what carry you through the valley. Amen and Peter in the valley, he goes back to where God spoke to him, which today he speaks through his word, through his Holy Spirit and he goes back to that moment where God spoke to on that ballot.

42:44 Top guys. I'll never forget that moment and that drives me every single day. And I want you to know when I die and I'm gone, that's worthy enough that you can leave life on this as well. And so if you don't have enough gratitude, enough joy in your life, I would encourage you. You may not be spending enough time with Jesus. You may not been opened the Bible recently. You have to create sacred spaces and you create sacred space anywhere. This week there's a few men at a church that are in the hospital and guess what? You can take the hospital room and you can turn into a sacred space. Amen. Like it was, it was interesting. There's a man in our church. He went to the hospital, he read Psalm 23. He, he read some other scripture with some other people and then like hours later he's in the hospital himself. And it went like roller coaster like crazy, went home and then like went back unconscious.

43:27 Like all this stuff's going on and I show up and I meet this guy and you know what's on his lips? The things of God. He, he, he just, it's a sacred space. Like, and it was like, dude, the enemy's trying to Take Me Out, but guess what? I'm still here. Like God used my life. This guy's a soul winner. He's passionate for Christ. He knows the scriptures. It's like that's a sacred room now that's been given to God. There's been other people in the hospital this week. You can make these chairs. They're not really pews, OK, but you can make them into a sacred space, Amen. For some of you, you, this could be the moment you start relationship with Jesus and you'll never forget like that really dark room, right? That school, because we'll move on from here and you'll drive by and you'll say, hey, I'll show you no son or daughter or whoever you're with. I say, dude, I came to Christ in that room right there. I never forget it.

44:11 That Sunday morning, this weird dude spoke, come on somebody, right? But I heard about the Gospel and my life's been ever changed because that room, because I heard God's voice. Amen. And you get to create that for other people. It's not just you. You get to help other people have sacred moments. You get to issue people into the Word of God, like when you're coaching or counseling or or in influence or leadership or own a company or whatever management you're in. Why don't you bring in Jesus in that conversation? Why don't you bring in more of the scripture of the conversation? Why don't you give them some of that joy and some of that passion? Who's going to fire you? Come on, somebody, have they fired you yet? Give it a try. Like we're so worried about it, right? And we're timid about the scripture, but it's like, no, we need to elevate the scripture.

44:53 We need to elevate things of God and we need to show things, the things of scripture in our lives. So create some sacred moments. And as parents, you create sacred moments with your children. You should, it should be an obligation. It should be and I'm a duty, but like a joy for you. So like I'm getting a scripture every single day with my kids like I'm going to make sure they know about God. We're praying we're asking questions you leave here from from Sunday morning. Hey, what'd you learn the kids program. We didn't learn anything. I'm sure you learned nothing. What did you learn? I will call Miss Christie right now. You better take this kid right. We have the moments that you can create for your children. They'll forever change their future. So we're called to do Amen. And it's a pretty amazing because always seeing this with so many people, the moment you see God's glory for yourself, you can never stop the rest of your life from helping other people see the same glory. It can never change.

45:40 That's what drives these guys and it drives our church. It drives me. I'm just so thankful for God's glory and His Majesty. So thank you, Jesus. God, thank you so much for your word, for your truth that's been passed down through eyewitness accounts. God, this is God. Breathe. God, thank you for building, allowing me to build my life on your scripture. God, you've been so faithful. I know so many people in the room would attest the same thing. God pray for those Jesus followers today. They say, you know what, I need to get back in the word of God. I I need to spend time with Jesus. I need to create some sacred spaces. Maybe it's in my car ride. Maybe it's in my bedroom. Maybe it's in the office. I need to spend time with you and you're calling us to do that. So we gotta pray. We just humble ourselves. God, we just get in tune with your word and realize it's not just any book.

46:20 This is a living book, the book that changed our soul, the book we build our life on this reliable and we do well to be in it. I'll pray for one group, people in the house specifically, that's those your day that they have the greatest sacred moment you could ever have. The moment you step into a permanent lasting relationship with Jesus because you know you're a Sinner and Navy Savior and you call on Jesus to be saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ. Those you recognize that Jesus isn't somebody just in history. He is a living God that chose to come and die for you on the cross and Rosie on 3rd day that drove Peter to write these books that die for him. And it'll drive you to be called to to drive you home to the cross to remind you that you're loved, to give you the grace of God, that you've been chosen by God and forgiven by God.

47:09 The Bible says we'll give you a new name. He'll change from the inside out and he'll transform your life, not just rebuild. It may be transformed. And that sacred moment back in 2000 where I called on Christ. My life has never been the same. God's been faithful. It's been a quarter century and I'm a test in the fact that God's faithful. So if you need Jesus in your life today, I'm not going to call you. I make it weird, but if you need Jesus in your life, we just raise your hand real high today and say I need Jesus, a relationship with Christ today. New life in Jesus today. Well, that's you. I'm going to leave your prayer. The prayer does not save you, but your heart towards him. It's a faith in him. It's a belief in him. Just call and say, Father God, today is a sacred moment. I recognize that I'm a Sinner new Savior God, I recognize that you down the cross that you're wounded for my sins.

47:53 God that you love me enough that you choose to die for me. And so God, thank you God with a heart full of joy and gratitude. My very first prayer is submission and humility to the gospel that's going to save my soul. So thank you God for the wisdom from your word that led me to this today. And I pray this in Jesus name. And the church said, Amen. Come on, give some glory to God today. Amen. Thank you Jesus. This is the end of this podcast. We hope you've enjoyed it. If you have, be sure to hit the subscribe button so you don't miss another inspirational podcast. For more great content and updates, visit reallifechurchkc.com.