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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached | June 5, 2025
- ♪ music ♪
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- [announcer] from the pulpit
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- Of the first baptist church of dallas, texas,
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- This is "pathway to victory" with dr. robert jeffress.
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- Hi, i am robert jeffress,
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- And welcome, again, to "pathway to victory."
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- The world has seen many great preachers
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- Throughout the centuries.
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- For example, billy graham,
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- Charles spurgeon, jonathan edwards.
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- I could go on and on.
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- But only one preacher holds the honor of delivering
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- The greatest sermon of all time,
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- And his name is the apostle peter.
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- My message is titled, "the greatest sermon ever preached"
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- On today's edition of "pathway to victory."
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- ♪ there was a holy hush all over ♪
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- ♪ as i walked into the room ♪
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- ♪ and i stood before him face to face ♪
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- ♪ i was gloriously made new ♪
- 00:00:55.645 --> 00:00:59.048
- ♪ there was a great and awesome presence ♪
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- ♪ and the light as bright as day ♪
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- ♪ and when i bowed to kneel with the angels ♪
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- ♪ i heard the spirit say ♪
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- -♪ all rise, all rise ♪ -♪ all rise, all rise ♪
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- ♪ to stand before the throne ♪
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- ♪ in the presence of the holy one ♪
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- -♪ all rise, ♪ -♪ holy, holy, holy ♪
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- ♪ lord god almighty ♪
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- -♪ early in the morning ♪ -♪ all rise, all rise ♪
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- ♪ our song shall rise to thee ♪
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- -♪ all rise, all rise ♪ -♪ all rise, all rise ♪
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- ♪ to stand before his throne ♪
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- ♪ in the presence of the holy one ♪
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- -♪ all rise, all rise ♪ -♪ all rise ♪
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- ♪ as we worship the messiah ♪
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- ♪ king of kings and lord of lords ♪
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- ♪ all rise, all rise ♪
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- ♪ all rise ♪
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- ♪ all rise ♪
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- (congregation clapping)
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- [announcer] jesus declared, "you are the salt of the earth
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- And the light of the world."
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- With so much darkness creeping into our schools
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- And communities, now is the time to answer that calling.
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- Become the salt and light the world desperately needs
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- Through the pathway to victory,
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- Salt and light matching challenge.
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- Your gift today doubled in ministry impact will empower
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- Pathway to victory to proclaim the gospel
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- And stand for biblical truth, push back
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- And hold strong against moral decline by joining
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- The salt & light matching challenge.
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- ♪ music ♪
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- Every pastor remembers his first sermon.
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- I remember mine, i was 15 years old,
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- A sophomore in high school
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- And i preached my first sermon here at this church,
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- Not in here, obviously not in the historic sanctuary
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- On sunday morning.
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- Instead, it was a sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.
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- In what we used to call the embry hall,
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- A chapel that no longer exists here
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- And that's where we hosted every week
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- Our good shepherd ministry.
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- It was a ministry to underprivileged children.
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- They would bust the children in every week
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- And the leader of that ministry, james newman invited me
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- To preach at the good shepherd chapel.
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- He knew i had just surrendered to the ministry.
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- Now, i don't know if he thought this would be
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- An encouragement to me or a dose of reality,
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- But he invited me to come preach to those kids
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- And my sermon topic was on 1 kings 18,
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- About elijah's contest on mount carmel
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- With the prophets of baal and praying for god
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- To show himself and how the fire of god came from heaven
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- And consumed the sacrifice.
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- You know, i thought of that this week
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- As i read about another first sermon.
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- It's found in acts chapter two.
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- It's the first sermon that the apostle peter ever preached.
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- In fact, it's the first sermon that was ever preached
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- In the newly birthed church
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- And it had far different results than mine.
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- If you have your bible's, turn to acts chapter two,
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- As we look at the greatest sermon ever preached.
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- Look at verse 14, "and peter taking his stand
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- With the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them."
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- Many of us have stood there on those southern steps going up
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- To the temple area where peter
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- Is thought to have stood and preached.
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- Isn't it interesting that god chose peter
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- To be the one to deliver the first message?
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- Isn't it amazing that god chose peter
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- To be the leader of the apostles?
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- I mean, think about peter.
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- He wasn't qualified.
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- He was a human gaff machine.
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- Did you know that?
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- I mean, he was always putting his foot in his mouth.
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- In fact, his foot was in his mouth
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- More than it was on the ground.
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- Mistake, after mistake after mistake.
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- Not only that, it was peter who had denied jesus christ,
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- Not once or twice but three times and yet god chose him.
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- Never think that because of some past mistake
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- You're put on the shelf and can never be used by god again.
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- If you find god's forgiveness through christ,
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- He can use you in a powerful way just like he used peter.
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- You know, every sermon to be effective
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- Should have one message that could be summarized
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- In a single sentence.
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- We call it the main idea, the central idea of a sermon.
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- And here the central idea is very clear.
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- Peter is going to declare that jesus christ is the messiah
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- As evidenced by his life, his death,
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- And his resurrection from the dead.
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- The first three point sermon there, his life, his death,
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- And his resurrection from the dead.
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- Let's look at it.
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- First of all, he says, consider jesus' life.
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- Verse 22, "men of israel, listen to these words:
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- Jesus the nazarene, a man attested to you by god
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- With miracles and wonders and signs which god performed
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- Through him in your midst,
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- Just as you yourselves know."
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- Jesus christ has been attested to you
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- And what peter is saying,
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- These things are like a giant neon sign in heaven
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- That is blinking messiah, messiah, messiah.
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- He's attested to be the messiah by his life.
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- Not only that, consider his death.
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- Verse 23, "this man delivered over by the predetermined plan
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- And foreknowledge of god, you nailed to a cross by the hands
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- Of godless men and you put him to death."
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- Now, you know today we saved things like we all nailed jesus
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- To the cross.
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- Our sins nailed him to the cross,
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- And that's certainly true to a certain extent,
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- But peter wasn't speaking figuratively,
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- He was speaking literally, but then he says in verse 23,
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- But it was all according to "the predetermined plan
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- And the foreknowledge of god."
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- Look, jesus' death wasn't accidental.
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- It wasn't a case of some bad men getting hold of a good man
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- And crucifying him, this was all part of god's plan.
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- That word predetermined means appointed or designated.
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- It was according to the foreknowledge of god.
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- By the way in the bible, foreknowledge doesn't just mean
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- To know something ahead of time,
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- Of course god knows things ahead of time.
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- The reason god knows the future
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- Is because god has planned the future.
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- This was all part of god's plan,
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- And here we see the mystery of god's sovereignty
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- And human responsibility.
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- Does god will for people to do evil? no.
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- Does god make people do evil? no.
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- But god can take the evil that people do,
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- He uses those things to accomplish his purpose in your life
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- And in the world.
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- That's what peter was saying.
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- This all happened according
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- To the predetermined plan of god.
- 00:09:17.980 --> 00:09:21.584
- But the largest neon arrow from heaven pointing to jesus
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- As the messiah, it's not his life, it's not even his death,
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- It's his resurrection from the dead.
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- Look at verse 24, "but god raised him up again,
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- Putting an end to the agony of death since it was impossible
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- For him to be held in its power."
- 00:09:40.169 --> 00:09:43.572
- Then he quotes from a psalm, psalm 16,
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- A thousand years before the time of christ,
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- That prophesied of christ' resurrection.
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- He quotes the psalm that says,
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- "i saw the lord always in my presence,
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- For he's at my right hand so that i will not be shaken.
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- Therefore, my heart was glad and my tongue exalted;
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- Moreover, my flesh also will live in hope."
- 00:10:04.627 --> 00:10:08.264
- David is talking about how he has hope. why?
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- Verse 27, "because you god will not abandon my soul
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- To hades."
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- You are not going to leave me in the grave.
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- In the old testament, hades usually means just the grave.
- 00:10:20.342 --> 00:10:23.512
- David said, i find hope through my life
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- Because i know in my death you are not going to abandon me
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- To hades, "nor are you going to allow your holy one
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- To undergo decay."
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- Your holy one.
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- Who is that? that's the messiah.
- 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:40.529
- David was looking forward a thousand years to the messiah,
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- His descendant who would sit on his throne forever and ever
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- And he said, god, you're not going to allow your holy one
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- The messiah to even undergo decay in the grave.
- 00:10:50.139 --> 00:10:54.810
- You say, pastor, aren't you reading a lot into that?
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- How can you get all that out of that psalm
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- Written a thousand years beforehand?
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- Isn't that reading a lot into it?
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- Peter didn't think so.
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- Look at his explanation.
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- Verse 29, "brethren, i may confidently say to you
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- Regarding the patriarch david that he both died,
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- And was buried and his tomb is with us to this day."
- 00:11:11.961 --> 00:11:15.131
- In other words, david obviously wasn't just talking
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- About himself because we know where his grave is
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- And his body is still rotting inside that grave.
- 00:11:20.669 --> 00:11:24.140
- One day he'll be resurrected, but not yet.
- 00:11:24.140 --> 00:11:27.243
- And so verse 30, "because david was a prophet
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- And knew that god had sworn to him with an oath
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- To see one of his descendants on the throne,
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- David looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection
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- Of the christ that he was neither abandoned to hades,
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- Nor did his flesh suffer decay."
- 00:11:43.459 --> 00:11:45.895
- He wasn't in that tomb long enough to begin to rot.
- 00:11:45.895 --> 00:11:48.731
- "god raised him up again,
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- To which we are all witnesses."
- 00:11:51.433 --> 00:11:55.805
- Why is it that peter centers on the resurrection
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- Of jesus christ from the dead?
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- Two reasons. first of all, christ resurrection
- 00:12:00.776 --> 00:12:04.146
- Was the signal proof that he was the messiah.
- 00:12:04.146 --> 00:12:08.217
- The resurrection was the signal proof
- 00:12:08.217 --> 00:12:10.419
- That jesus was the messiah.
- 00:12:10.419 --> 00:12:12.321
- Remember in john 2:19, jesus said, "destroy this temple,
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- And in three days i will raise it up."
- 00:12:16.692 --> 00:12:19.428
- In romans 1:4 paul said, "jesus was declared
- 00:12:19.428 --> 00:12:22.364
- To be the son of god with power."
- 00:12:22.364 --> 00:12:24.166
- How? by his resurrection from the dead.
- 00:12:24.166 --> 00:12:27.436
- Anybody can walk around claiming to be god,
- 00:12:27.436 --> 00:12:30.039
- But only somebody who is god can raise himself
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- From the dead.
- 00:12:32.541 --> 00:12:33.976
- It's the signal proof that he is truly the messiah.
- 00:12:33.976 --> 00:12:38.614
- And by the way, notice in verse 32 it says,
- 00:12:38.614 --> 00:12:41.016
- "this jesus god raised up again
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- To which we are all witnesses."
- 00:12:44.386 --> 00:12:47.890
- What did he mean, we're all witnesses?
- 00:12:47.890 --> 00:12:50.192
- Remember he's speaking just 50 days after the resurrection.
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- He's speaking to people.
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- He said, we all know about the resurrection.
- 00:12:55.497 --> 00:12:56.866
- Every one of us.
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- Some knew about it because they had seen
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- The resurrected lord.
- 00:12:59.935 --> 00:13:01.637
- For 40 days after his resurrection, he walked on the earth,
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- Were seen by many hundreds, perhaps thousands
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- At one appearance by itself.
- 00:13:07.209 --> 00:13:09.378
- He appeared to more than 500 people, paul wrote
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- In 1 corinthians 15.
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- Many had seen him, not only that,
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- Many others had seen him 10 days earlier ascend
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- Into heaven from the mount of olives,
- 00:13:18.854 --> 00:13:21.457
- But the greatest evidence for the resurrection was one
- 00:13:21.457 --> 00:13:25.461
- That everybody knew about in jerusalem.
- 00:13:25.461 --> 00:13:28.397
- That tomb was empty.
- 00:13:28.397 --> 00:13:31.901
- They could all go there.
- 00:13:31.901 --> 00:13:33.402
- Just as many of us go there, they could go to that tomb
- 00:13:33.402 --> 00:13:37.606
- And they could see 10 days later there was no body
- 00:13:37.606 --> 00:13:41.243
- In that tomb.
- 00:13:41.243 --> 00:13:42.745
- It was empty then, it's been empty for 2000 years.
- 00:13:42.745 --> 00:13:48.584
- He has risen from the dead just as he said he would be.
- 00:13:48.584 --> 00:13:52.855
- (congregation clapping)
- 00:13:52.855 --> 00:13:54.823
- And notice how peter concludes the sermon.
- 00:13:54.823 --> 00:13:57.359
- Verse 36, "therefore, let all of the house of israel know
- 00:13:57.359 --> 00:14:01.063
- For certain that god is made him both lord and christ,
- 00:14:01.063 --> 00:14:05.234
- This jesus whom you crucified."
- 00:14:05.234 --> 00:14:09.838
- And what was the response to that message, the results?
- 00:14:10.940 --> 00:14:13.909
- Look at verse 37.
- 00:14:13.909 --> 00:14:15.444
- "now, when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart,"
- 00:14:15.444 --> 00:14:20.549
- That word pierced means to cut.
- 00:14:21.183 --> 00:14:23.052
- That's what the word of god does.
- 00:14:23.052 --> 00:14:24.620
- Hebrews 4:12, "the word of god is alive, it's active,
- 00:14:24.620 --> 00:14:27.356
- And it's sharper than any two-edged sword."
- 00:14:27.356 --> 00:14:30.225
- It's like a surgeon scalpel when we hear the word of god,
- 00:14:30.225 --> 00:14:33.128
- It cuts us in order to heal us.
- 00:14:33.128 --> 00:14:37.099
- They heard and they said to peter
- 00:14:37.099 --> 00:14:39.335
- And the rest of the apostle's,
- 00:14:39.335 --> 00:14:40.502
- "brethren, what shall we do?"
- 00:14:40.502 --> 00:14:44.440
- This message deserves a response,
- 00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:46.842
- But what are we supposed to do?
- 00:14:46.842 --> 00:14:48.978
- And peter responds by giving the first evangelistic message
- 00:14:50.145 --> 00:14:53.449
- And invitation in history.
- 00:14:53.449 --> 00:14:54.984
- He says in verse 38, here's what you do.
- 00:14:54.984 --> 00:14:57.653
- "repent and let each of you be baptized
- 00:14:57.653 --> 00:15:01.256
- In the name of jesus christ for the forgiveness of your sins
- 00:15:01.256 --> 00:15:04.927
- And you will receive the gift of the holy spirit."
- 00:15:04.927 --> 00:15:08.297
- See the pattern there.
- 00:15:08.297 --> 00:15:09.832
- When you repent and believe you receive the holy spirit.
- 00:15:09.832 --> 00:15:13.102
- You don't wait for the holy spirit,
- 00:15:13.102 --> 00:15:14.603
- He comes when you believe.
- 00:15:14.603 --> 00:15:16.138
- Repent and be baptized.
- 00:15:16.138 --> 00:15:18.407
- What does that mean to repent?
- 00:15:18.407 --> 00:15:20.075
- Metanoia, the greek word, to have a change of mind
- 00:15:20.075 --> 00:15:23.979
- That leads to a change of direction.
- 00:15:23.979 --> 00:15:26.982
- These jews who had been listening needed to change
- 00:15:27.983 --> 00:15:30.386
- Their mind about who jesus was.
- 00:15:30.386 --> 00:15:32.221
- He wasn't just some rabbi, he was the messiah.
- 00:15:32.221 --> 00:15:36.425
- They could no longer ignore him.
- 00:15:36.425 --> 00:15:37.960
- They needed to accept him,
- 00:15:37.960 --> 00:15:39.294
- To put their faith and trust in him
- 00:15:39.294 --> 00:15:41.363
- For the forgiveness of sins.
- 00:15:41.363 --> 00:15:43.599
- That was the whole christian message.
- 00:15:43.599 --> 00:15:45.234
- What must i do for the forgiveness of my sins?
- 00:15:45.234 --> 00:15:48.704
- It was to repent, believe, trust in jesus.
- 00:15:48.704 --> 00:15:52.207
- And then he says, "and let each of you be baptized
- 00:15:52.207 --> 00:15:56.178
- For the forgiveness of sins."
- 00:15:56.178 --> 00:15:58.747
- Now, some people get hung up on that.
- 00:15:58.747 --> 00:16:00.983
- They say, now wait a minute.
- 00:16:00.983 --> 00:16:02.584
- Is he saying baptism is what saves us,
- 00:16:02.584 --> 00:16:05.687
- Washes away our sin?
- 00:16:05.687 --> 00:16:07.823
- Of course not.
- 00:16:07.823 --> 00:16:09.091
- There's nothing in that water that is holy,
- 00:16:09.091 --> 00:16:12.561
- Comes out of the tap just like the water we use.
- 00:16:12.561 --> 00:16:15.964
- There's nothing holy in that water
- 00:16:15.964 --> 00:16:17.866
- That washes away your sin, it is a picture of what god
- 00:16:17.866 --> 00:16:21.570
- Has done for you when you trust in christ.
- 00:16:21.570 --> 00:16:24.106
- That's the last step that signifies
- 00:16:24.106 --> 00:16:27.376
- The whole salvation process.
- 00:16:27.376 --> 00:16:29.178
- When jesus said, "go into all the world
- 00:16:29.178 --> 00:16:30.813
- And make disciples, baptizing them
- 00:16:30.813 --> 00:16:32.948
- In the name of the father, son and holy spirit."
- 00:16:32.948 --> 00:16:35.284
- Is the way you make a disciple, go around,
- 00:16:35.284 --> 00:16:36.785
- And just start dunking people?
- 00:16:36.785 --> 00:16:38.554
- No, baptism is just shorthand for saving,
- 00:16:38.554 --> 00:16:43.525
- For introducing them to faith in jesus christ.
- 00:16:43.525 --> 00:16:46.195
- That's what he's saying here.
- 00:16:46.195 --> 00:16:48.030
- But don't underestimate the importance of baptism.
- 00:16:48.030 --> 00:16:50.866
- It is a command.
- 00:16:50.866 --> 00:16:52.568
- It's a command for every christian.
- 00:16:52.568 --> 00:16:54.736
- Let every christian be baptized
- 00:16:54.736 --> 00:16:57.840
- Because of the forgiveness of his sin.
- 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:00.676
- As i've said before from this point on,
- 00:17:00.676 --> 00:17:02.644
- There's not one example of a christian
- 00:17:02.644 --> 00:17:04.880
- Who is not baptized, not one.
- 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:07.082
- Every christian is baptized and there is a model for baptism
- 00:17:07.082 --> 00:17:12.354
- That we find here.
- 00:17:12.788 --> 00:17:14.223
- It's always believe, repent and then be baptized.
- 00:17:14.223 --> 00:17:18.026
- Believe and be baptized,
- 00:17:18.026 --> 00:17:20.596
- Every time somebody believed and then they were baptized.
- 00:17:20.596 --> 00:17:23.999
- There is not one example in the bible of somebody
- 00:17:23.999 --> 00:17:27.336
- Who was baptized first and then believed later on.
- 00:17:27.336 --> 00:17:32.074
- There is no instance of somebody being sprinkled,
- 00:17:32.074 --> 00:17:35.744
- And then later growing up and believing.
- 00:17:35.744 --> 00:17:39.181
- It always starts with belief and then baptism.
- 00:17:39.181 --> 00:17:42.718
- That is scriptural baptism.
- 00:17:42.718 --> 00:17:45.254
- You believe first and then you're baptized.
- 00:17:45.254 --> 00:17:48.423
- Secondly, notice the mode of baptism here,
- 00:17:48.423 --> 00:17:51.360
- It is by immersion.
- 00:17:51.360 --> 00:17:53.028
- We'll see when we get to acts eight and peter,
- 00:17:53.028 --> 00:17:58.367
- Or philip baptizes the ethiopian eunuch,
- 00:17:59.234 --> 00:18:02.104
- He takes him and puts him down in the water
- 00:18:02.104 --> 00:18:04.806
- And brings him up out of the water.
- 00:18:04.806 --> 00:18:07.009
- Jesus went into the water and came up out of the water.
- 00:18:07.009 --> 00:18:11.180
- That's what the word baptized means,
- 00:18:11.180 --> 00:18:13.282
- Vaptizo, it means to immerse.
- 00:18:13.282 --> 00:18:16.585
- Notice what happened here.
- 00:18:16.585 --> 00:18:18.153
- This is the pattern we see here in verse 41.
- 00:18:18.153 --> 00:18:20.455
- "so then, those who received peter's word were baptized,
- 00:18:20.455 --> 00:18:25.360
- And that day there were added 3000 souls."
- 00:18:25.360 --> 00:18:30.365
- Church had started with 120 that morning,
- 00:18:30.365 --> 00:18:32.868
- Now there were 3000 more who had believed and were baptized.
- 00:18:32.868 --> 00:18:37.839
- By the way, what were they added to?
- 00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:40.709
- They were added to the membership roles.
- 00:18:40.709 --> 00:18:43.045
- Later on verse 47, "the lord was adding to their number
- 00:18:43.045 --> 00:18:47.216
- Day by day those who were being saved,"
- 00:18:47.216 --> 00:18:49.551
- They knew who was converted,
- 00:18:49.551 --> 00:18:51.053
- They knew who was a part of the church and who wasn't.
- 00:18:51.053 --> 00:18:53.889
- That helped them care for the members of the church.
- 00:18:53.889 --> 00:18:56.225
- It helped them hold them accountable.
- 00:18:56.225 --> 00:18:58.260
- That was the purpose of membership in the early church.
- 00:18:58.260 --> 00:19:01.830
- They went out from this point on into the whole world
- 00:19:01.830 --> 00:19:05.167
- To share the gospel, making not just converts,
- 00:19:05.167 --> 00:19:08.704
- Baptizing them but disciples,
- 00:19:08.704 --> 00:19:12.007
- Teaching them to observe all things
- 00:19:12.007 --> 00:19:14.676
- That christ had commanded them.
- 00:19:14.676 --> 00:19:16.878
- And notice how they grew, not just in number,
- 00:19:16.878 --> 00:19:19.982
- But in spiritual maturity as well.
- 00:19:19.982 --> 00:19:22.684
- In acts 2:42, i wish i had the time, but i don't.
- 00:19:22.684 --> 00:19:25.854
- But look at this, "they were continually devoting themselves
- 00:19:25.854 --> 00:19:29.524
- To the apostles teaching and to fellowship,
- 00:19:29.524 --> 00:19:32.661
- To the breaking of bread and to prayer."
- 00:19:32.661 --> 00:19:35.230
- Now, what was the result of all of that?
- 00:19:35.230 --> 00:19:38.200
- Look at verse 46.
- 00:19:38.200 --> 00:19:39.801
- "day by day continuing with one mind in the temple
- 00:19:39.801 --> 00:19:44.072
- And breaking bread from house to house,
- 00:19:44.072 --> 00:19:46.775
- They were taking their meals together with gladness
- 00:19:46.775 --> 00:19:50.512
- And sincerity of heart,
- 00:19:50.512 --> 00:19:52.314
- Praising god and having favor with all the people.
- 00:19:52.314 --> 00:19:56.251
- And the lord was adding to their number day by day those
- 00:19:56.251 --> 00:20:00.822
- Who were being saved."
- 00:20:00.822 --> 00:20:02.658
- So this isn't about being a baptist,
- 00:20:02.658 --> 00:20:05.260
- This is about following what the bible says.
- 00:20:05.260 --> 00:20:08.196
- Believe and then be baptized.
- 00:20:08.196 --> 00:20:09.898
- Here's what i have found in 45 years of pastoring,
- 00:20:09.898 --> 00:20:13.635
- Christians who have never been scripturally baptized
- 00:20:13.635 --> 00:20:16.672
- Have something missing in their life.
- 00:20:16.672 --> 00:20:19.041
- Sometimes they can't even pinpoint what it is.
- 00:20:19.041 --> 00:20:22.444
- It's not following christ's command.
- 00:20:22.444 --> 00:20:24.513
- You cannot be complete as a disciple until you follow jesus
- 00:20:24.513 --> 00:20:29.785
- In the whole area of baptism.
- 00:20:30.419 --> 00:20:32.654
- I've told this story many times before.
- 00:20:32.654 --> 00:20:35.691
- Every time i tell it, somebody says that spoke to me.
- 00:20:35.691 --> 00:20:39.528
- And that's what convinced me i need to be baptized.
- 00:20:39.528 --> 00:20:43.265
- I've told you all about my mom,
- 00:20:43.265 --> 00:20:45.267
- How she got saved at the billy graham crusade
- 00:20:45.267 --> 00:20:47.669
- When she was a young woman with my dad,
- 00:20:47.669 --> 00:20:50.305
- And she came here to the church the next sunday,
- 00:20:50.305 --> 00:20:52.974
- Joined this church the same day billy graham
- 00:20:52.974 --> 00:20:55.477
- Joined our church, but she came from a denomination
- 00:20:55.477 --> 00:20:59.815
- Where she had been sprinkled.
- 00:20:59.815 --> 00:21:01.350
- She had never been truly baptized,
- 00:21:01.350 --> 00:21:04.152
- So she was excited about joining the church,
- 00:21:04.152 --> 00:21:06.588
- Until it was explained to her she needed to be baptized.
- 00:21:06.588 --> 00:21:10.325
- And she said, oh, well, i've already done that.
- 00:21:10.325 --> 00:21:13.462
- I was sprinkled, no, you need to be baptized.
- 00:21:13.462 --> 00:21:16.932
- And mrs. criswell took my mom under her wing,
- 00:21:16.932 --> 00:21:19.735
- And discipled her and showed her in the bible
- 00:21:19.735 --> 00:21:22.971
- About why a christian needs to be baptized.
- 00:21:22.971 --> 00:21:25.607
- And she finally was convinced that's what she wanted to do.
- 00:21:25.607 --> 00:21:28.643
- So she made the appointment to be baptized.
- 00:21:28.643 --> 00:21:32.347
- Her parents, my grandparents were strong leaders
- 00:21:32.347 --> 00:21:36.151
- In their methodist church.
- 00:21:36.151 --> 00:21:38.353
- And when they heard she was going to be baptized,
- 00:21:38.353 --> 00:21:41.390
- They were less than excited about it.
- 00:21:41.390 --> 00:21:44.426
- And they loved my mom.
- 00:21:44.426 --> 00:21:46.161
- My mom adored them, wanted to please them,
- 00:21:46.161 --> 00:21:49.164
- But they considered it a slap in the face
- 00:21:49.164 --> 00:21:51.666
- That their daughter would feel the need
- 00:21:51.666 --> 00:21:53.435
- To what they said be re-baptized.
- 00:21:53.435 --> 00:21:56.405
- And so they refused to come to the service.
- 00:21:56.405 --> 00:21:58.974
- It really hurt my mom,
- 00:21:58.974 --> 00:22:00.208
- But she knew that's what god wanted her to do,
- 00:22:00.208 --> 00:22:02.377
- So she was baptized.
- 00:22:02.377 --> 00:22:04.980
- Well, over the years,
- 00:22:05.480 --> 00:22:07.682
- My grandparents started to warm up to our church,
- 00:22:07.682 --> 00:22:12.320
- And they started coming down here
- 00:22:12.320 --> 00:22:14.122
- And attending as they had opportunity to do so,
- 00:22:14.122 --> 00:22:17.359
- And they grew to love our church and appreciate our church.
- 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:21.496
- My grandfather lived about eight years after my mom died
- 00:22:21.496 --> 00:22:25.434
- And went to heaven.
- 00:22:25.434 --> 00:22:27.269
- And one day, shortly before he died,
- 00:22:27.269 --> 00:22:29.237
- I went up to see him in van alstyne
- 00:22:29.237 --> 00:22:31.573
- And he was laying in bed, resting most of the time,
- 00:22:32.641 --> 00:22:37.979
- But we were talking and just out of nowhere, he said,
- 00:22:37.979 --> 00:22:40.615
- You know, robert, the best thing your mother ever did
- 00:22:40.615 --> 00:22:45.520
- Was to join the first baptist church of dallas.
- 00:22:45.520 --> 00:22:48.824
- And if i were physically able,
- 00:22:49.458 --> 00:22:52.661
- I would walk down that aisle of that church this sunday
- 00:22:52.661 --> 00:22:57.032
- And get baptized.
- 00:22:57.032 --> 00:22:59.468
- Now, he wasn't physically able to do that,
- 00:22:59.468 --> 00:23:02.804
- And he died shortly after that.
- 00:23:02.804 --> 00:23:05.373
- But many of you are able to do it.
- 00:23:06.107 --> 00:23:09.010
- And i'm just saying to you as a pastor,
- 00:23:09.010 --> 00:23:11.880
- There's something that will always be missing in your life
- 00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:15.951
- If you don't follow the lord's command to be baptized.
- 00:23:15.951 --> 00:23:19.788
- And the reason to do it
- 00:23:19.788 --> 00:23:21.056
- Is not because this church requires it,
- 00:23:21.056 --> 00:23:23.959
- The reason to do it is because god requires it.
- 00:23:23.959 --> 00:23:27.529
- He commands it.
- 00:23:27.529 --> 00:23:29.030
- "repent and let each of you be baptized
- 00:23:29.030 --> 00:23:32.868
- For the forgiveness of sins."
- 00:23:32.868 --> 00:23:35.337
- ♪ music ♪
- 00:23:35.337 --> 00:23:40.375
- Friends, the landscape of our country
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- And world can be totally transformed
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- When christians become empowered by the holy spirit.
- 00:23:45.247 --> 00:23:49.317
- Truly the holy spirit provides us with unstoppable power.
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- For that reason and more, i'm excited to tell you
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- About the pathway to victory
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- Salt and light matching challenge
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- That launched earlier this week.
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- As you give between now and july 6th,
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- Your gift will be matched and therefore doubled
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- 00:24:13.008 --> 00:24:15.277
- "you are the salt of the earth.
- 00:24:15.277 --> 00:24:17.779
- You are the light of the world."
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- All across the world.
- 00:24:41.836 --> 00:24:43.772
- Now stay right there.
- 00:24:43.772 --> 00:24:45.340
- I'll be back with more pathway to victory in just a moment.
- 00:24:45.340 --> 00:24:49.411
- Is fear holding you back from sharing your faith?
- 00:24:50.445 --> 00:24:53.214
- Millions of christians have the desire,
- 00:24:53.214 --> 00:24:55.317
- But lack the courage to speak up.
- 00:24:55.317 --> 00:24:57.352
- With god's holy spirit, you can become unstoppable.
- 00:24:57.352 --> 00:25:00.922
- Our enemy hates for the church to grow, not just in numbers,
- 00:25:00.922 --> 00:25:04.859
- But in it's influence for the gospel.
- 00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:07.295
- And he will do everything he can to stop it.
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- In my faith-building book, "unstoppable power",
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- We face the same kind of growing opposition
- 00:25:52.641 --> 00:25:56.711
- In the 21st century as those 1st century christians experienced.
- 00:25:56.711 --> 00:26:02.050
- That opposition was no match for the power of jesus christ.
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- As we boldly proclaim the gospel in a world
- 00:26:15.630 --> 00:26:18.400
- That has lost it's way.
- 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:21.469
- Peter's sermon on the day of pentecost
- 00:26:22.303 --> 00:26:25.040
- Was truly unforgettable and the supernatural impact
- 00:26:25.040 --> 00:26:28.843
- Of that powerful message continues to reverberate
- 00:26:28.843 --> 00:26:32.113
- To this day.
- 00:26:32.113 --> 00:26:33.882
- Well, the bible is filled with the accounts
- 00:26:33.882 --> 00:26:36.217
- Of supernatural healing,
- 00:26:36.217 --> 00:26:38.153
- Especially during the first century.
- 00:26:38.153 --> 00:26:40.722
- So does god still heal people today?
- 00:26:40.722 --> 00:26:44.626
- If so, why doesn't he heal everyone who asks?
- 00:26:44.626 --> 00:26:48.163
- Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next
- 00:26:48.163 --> 00:26:50.532
- In our series, unstoppable power.
- 00:26:50.532 --> 00:26:54.135
- Does god still heal people today like he did
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- In biblical times?
- 00:26:58.907 --> 00:27:00.675
- If so, why isn't everyone healed?
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- Do certain people possess
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- The gift of healing today like the apostles did?
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- And how should we respond whenever we are confronted
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- With illness in our life or the life
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- Of somebody we care about?
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- [announcer] set your dvr and join us next time
- 00:27:18.793 --> 00:27:21.029
- For the message, purpose-driven healing
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- Here on pathway to victory.
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- ♪ music ♪
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