[0:00] Thank you.
[0:30] Thank you.
[1:00] Thank you.
[1:30] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[1:42] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[1:54] That the Lord has made Let us rejoice And be glad in it This is the day that the Lord has made Let us rejoice and be glad in it This is the day This is the day that the Lord has made Shall we pray together?
[2:30] Dear God in heaven, pour out your Holy Spirit into us. Fill us and touch us and move us and help us to experience you in this place. Be our blessing as we come to worship you.
[2:42] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Now if you're able, I'm going to invite you to stand as we sing together. Rejoice, the Lord is King. Rejoice, the Lord is King.
[3:03] Your Lord and King adore. Mortals give thanks and sing and triumph evermore.
[3:14] Lift up your heart. Lift up your voice. Rejoice again, I say rejoice.
[3:27] Jesus, the Savior, reigns. The God of truth and love. When he had perched our saints, He took his seat above.
[3:41] Lift up your heart. Lift up your voice. Rejoice again, I say rejoice.
[3:54] His kingdom cannot fail. He rules on earth and heaven. The keys of earth and heaven. The keys of earth and hell.
[4:04] The keys of earth and heaven. The keys of earth and heaven. Are to what Jesus gives. Lift up your heart. Lift up your voice.
[4:15] Rejoice again, I say rejoice. Rejoice in glorious hope. Jesus the judge shall come and take his servants home till they return home.
[4:37] We soon shall hear your King, John's voice, the trump of God, shall say, rejoice.
[4:50] The Lord be with you. Please be seated. So it was an overwhelming experience. Speaking of which, do you like my new pulpit? So I'm going to answer it because everybody's going to ask it.
[5:04] They need that because they're putting the steeple on the church in the next couple weeks, and so they're going to bolt it through the roof, and that's why it's there, okay? So that's with us for a little bit as we go through this reconstruction.
[5:17] In your bulletin today, you're going to find an envelope. And in that envelope, you will see it's for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for the hurricane that struck there.
[5:27] I know we've already taken up two offerings for hurricanes, but I'm going to ask again for people that are really in serious trouble. I've seen pictures of it. I can't even imagine what's happened in that island.
[5:40] All the troubles that are going on in our country from hurricanes, this place has no power, no water, really no nothing. So they need our help. So we offer that up to you, and we're going to keep asking for people that are in trouble and in need.
[5:53] Finally, I wanted to offer our clipboard ministries this morning. It's an opportunity to be a part of church, and as part of our offering of our gifts of our finances, we also give our gifts of service.
[6:05] And this is for the fish fries coming up. We are thankful for opportunities to be in service, for opportunities to help people in need.
[6:17] And we are thankful to God for so many reasons. And I want to hear today what you are thankful for. Yeah. I'm sorry, what? Pastor nursing boards.
[6:30] Wonderful. Her daughter passed the nursing boards. Amen. That's great. Yeah. He got a heart transplant.
[6:42] Praise God. That's wonderful. Yeah. Aunt Wanda made it through surgery. Wonderful. Good. Yeah.
[6:53] Yeah. Amen to that. Absolutely. Anyone else want to share?
[7:06] Well, as we, yeah. Amen. God bless. Absolutely. Yeah. Anyone else? You know, there's so much to be grateful for, so much to be thankful for.
[7:20] God has blessed each and every one of us in so many ways. You can't even list. You could just go on and on and on with all the things for us to be thankful for. So as we reflect on just how good God is to each and every one of us, let's return our gifts, tithes, and offerings to the Lord.
[7:37] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[8:15] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[8:25] Amen. Amen.
[8:37] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. running His ways.
[8:50] Let my eyes see Jesus only. Let my lips be forth His praise. All for Jesus.
[9:06] All my days and all my hours. All for Jesus. All my days and all my hours.
[9:32] Since my eyes were faced on Jesus, all for Jesus. I'm lost by the low beside. All beside.
[9:45] So enchained by spirit's vision. Looking at the crucified. All for Jesus.
[9:58] All my days and all my hours. All for Jesus.
[10:13] All my days and all my hours. Oh, what wonder. How amazing.
[10:26] Jesus glorious. King of kings. He has called me. His beloved.
[10:38] Let me rest beneath His wings. All for Jesus.
[10:50] All my days and all my hours. All for Jesus.
[11:02] All my days and all my hours. All my days and all my hours.
[11:20] All for Jesus.
[11:33] All for Jesus. Jesus. Thank you.
[12:08] Lord, we thank you for your goodness, for your many blessings in our lives.
[12:31] We thank you for taking care of us and giving us opportunity. And we pray that you will bless these gifts as an opportunity to share your name, to share your witness.
[12:45] Be with them, Lord, and bless it. Give us your wisdom and your grace and your directions that we may be able to use these gifts wisely to better transform the world, that your name may be praised and transformation will happen.
[13:00] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Please be seated. Thank you. They're welcome to meet me back here.
[13:13] I wanted to share some prayer concerns from within our church family. Please pray for Sam Matina and for Penny Ledenfrost, who are both recovering from surgery.
[13:25] Also, please pray for Jan and Tom Gertz. They have an unborn great-grandson who has discovered a tumor on the heart.
[13:41] So prayer is powerful, and we would like the church community to lift up this baby. Any other prayer concerns that we'd like to lift up today?
[13:53] Cindy? Cindy? It's getting risky, so pray for Liz as she's heading toward the end of her pregnancy.
[14:05] She's home with high blood pressure. Okay. Anyone else? Okay. Let's turn to the throne of grace.
[14:17] Lord, you are a good and a loving God. We know you love us as your children, and we trust in you.
[14:31] We're putting our faith in you, and we're lifting up our concerns to you. We pray for our church family, Lord. We pray for Sam and Penny as they recover from their surgery.
[14:45] We pray for Liz as she goes through the end part of her pregnancy. We pray for safety and healing, that the delivery will be smooth, and that all will be well.
[14:58] We pray for this baby, Lord. We pray that the tumor will disappear, that you'll be with this baby and make him strong and healthy, and be with doctors and nurses.
[15:10] Give them your wisdom to be able to do the right things, that this baby will be so healthy, that your name be praised. We pray for those within our community of faith that are struggling, Lord, with many things that were not named.
[15:30] For people struggling with physical issues, we pray for healing, that your touch will be upon them, and for all healing, Lord, that your supernatural witness will manifest in powerful ways to proclaim your name.
[15:43] We pray, Lord, for people who are mourning, grieving, that your comfort will be upon them.
[15:54] Give them your peace. Help us to be a supportive community of faith that shares your love and lifts them up with your encouragement. Lord, we pray that you will be with our families, that you will draw us closer to one another, closer to you, that you'll give us the right perspective on what you really want for our families.
[16:24] We pray for people who are struggling with their finances. Give them discernment. Give them opportunity. And we pray for people who don't yet know you.
[16:38] There are people that we love, that we long to have come to know you, and replacing them in your hand and trusting that you will send people to them to minister and witness, and that you will soften their hearts and open their ears, that they may hear and know you.
[16:56] Oh, gracious Lord, you are the great physician. We thank you for the healing you are doing. And we praise your name for the goodness and the mercy for taking care of the people.
[17:17] For it's in your name we pray. Amen. Now let's hear from the word of the Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Good morning.
[17:48] This morning's reading is from Acts chapter 9 verses 10 through 19. In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision.
[18:00] Ananias. Yes, Lord, he answered. The Lord told him, Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
[18:12] In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight. Lord, Ananias answered, Lord, Ananias answered, I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.
[18:27] And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name. But the Lord said to Ananias, Go. This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
[18:44] I will show him how much he must suffer for my name. Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you might see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
[19:05] Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
[19:16] Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. This is the word of the Lord. Thank you, Tim.
[19:28] This morning we're continuing this sermon series on how do we win the ultimate prize. From the book of 1 Corinthians, everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.
[19:38] They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Winning the title in the football game, winning eternal life.
[19:49] No comparison. So we're talking about changing our lives, changing our church, and by doing so, changing the world. Have you ever really messed up?
[20:01] Done something wrong that just turned out to be a huge mistake? You know, last week, the Buffalo Bills didn't win a football game. The Denver Broncos lost a football game.
[20:14] And it's not that the Bills didn't play well. They did. But the Denver Broncos did things that were just not well like this guy right here. Miller, like he looks like he's going to act to help up Tyrod Taylor.
[20:30] Doesn't help him up. And the penalty flag comes in after that. If they call that unsportsmanlike conduct, I've never seen it. You get it? He acted like he was going to help him up.
[20:42] And he's like, yeah. And then he got the penalty. 15 yards. Enough. So the Buffalo Bills scored and Denver didn't. Very likely could have changed the entire game because this guy thought he was being funny.
[21:00] Clever. Wise guy. Have you ever done that? I know I've done that. And you find out that really all you did was mess up.
[21:10] In this story, we've got two key characters. One is Ananias and the other is Saul. Saul messed up. Saul was a great leader in the Jewish faith.
[21:23] In fact, some people felt that he would someday lead the nation. He was a very educated man. He was a smart man. He was an ambitious man. And he had all the resources you could imagine at his disposal.
[21:35] And he had found this ridiculous heresy, this evil thing that was spreading through the nation of Israel. And he was going to stamp out Christianity. In Acts chapter 8, it says to us, Saul approved the killing of Stephen.
[21:50] And on that day, a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. And all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea, Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.
[22:01] But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. He was determined that in the name of God, he was going to get rid of this thing we call the church.
[22:18] He even decided that he had to go beyond the confines of Jerusalem. And so he got on his horse and headed for the city of Damascus. And in chapter 9, we read what happened after that.
[22:31] He neared Damascus on his journey and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground on his keister and heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?
[22:43] And Saul asked, What? Who are you, Lord? I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, he replied. Ouch.
[22:56] What? Really? Everything that he was doing was completely the opposite of what he intended. He was trying to do the right thing for God, and instead he found his life completely off track.
[23:12] He's blinded by this light. He has to be led by his companions into the city, where for three days he didn't eat or drink anything. Three days sound familiar?
[23:24] Jonah was in the whale for three days. Jesus was in the tomb for three days. And Saul is in darkness for three days. Saul thought he was doing right, serving God, but he was completely and entirely wrong.
[23:41] I've got an emptiness deep inside, and I've tried, but won't let me go. Songs like that just touch us right here. There's something missing.
[23:54] Something in our life where we feel empty. Life is, in many ways, like a cup. And for many people, they feel their life is empty, and they try to fill it up.
[24:09] And Saul is trying to fill his cup up, but it comes up short. In Matthew chapter 25, 21, it says that the goal in life is to meet God, and God will say, well done, good and faithful servant.
[24:23] You've been faithful with few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness. You've been faithful with a few things. I'll put you in charge of a whole lot of things.
[24:37] Do we do what God wants? Do we find ourselves being a part of what God has called us to be? We're changing some things around our church, and one of them we need to change is the idea that we're a volunteer organization.
[24:54] I don't want you to misunderstand. We need volunteers. We've got fish fries coming up. We need people to help us with various different activities and things. And that's important stuff. It's good stuff. But we also need to find something deeper, something far more important.
[25:10] What does God want us to do? And it's natural that we're a volunteer organization. We're a volunteer culture. Heck, we even have a volunteer military.
[25:21] It used to be that we carried draft cards. Anybody remember those? I had one of those. Not many left. But are we a disciple?
[25:33] In this passage, it starts out by saying in verse 10 that Ananias was a disciple. A disciple is a little different than other folk. Back in the days of the Bible, Jesus had a bunch of people that came out to hear him speak.
[25:46] There were the 12. Remember the 12? The named apostles that we have in the Bible? Well, I'm sure you could all name all 12 of them, right? You know, if you just rattle them off your head.
[25:58] Those were the ones that surrounded Jesus everywhere he went. But then, I don't know if you know it, there were 300 to 500 people called disciples. People that were taking care of Jesus.
[26:10] You know that the women back then were the ones paying the bills for Jesus. Shouldn't surprise you, ladies, but that's what was happening. It was people that would pave the way.
[26:20] People that would go out and share the word. People that would tell others. People that would do whatever needed to be done. And then, there were the crowd. There were thousands in the crowd.
[26:32] Especially when he was giving out free fish sandwiches. Then the crowd just swelled on up, right? Or when he was healing people and making the blind see or the lame walk.
[26:44] When he could do something so that they could get some bennies, man. They showed up by the thousands. You couldn't get near Jesus when he was giving out benefits. But when he said something hard or difficult or pushed them or challenged them, the crowd disappeared.
[27:03] And even some of the disciples. Are we more like the crowd? Or are we more like the disciples? I don't want to criticize the crowd entirely.
[27:13] Because to be honest with you, at least they were there, right? At least they were there. A whole lot of people don't even care what God has to say or what God thinks. They never show up. For good or for bad.
[27:25] But I think if we really, really want to be Christians. God is calling us to take a step of being disciples. A servant ministry.
[27:37] Well done. Good and faithful servants. See, because God has a plan. I don't know if you saw what it said in verse 12.
[27:48] But it says that Saul has already seen Ananias coming to him. He's already seen it. How about that for pressure?
[27:59] If somebody were to come to you and say, I've seen a vision that God is going to have you do this or that. That would freak me out, right? Really? Saul already has seen the plan of God.
[28:12] Because God has an intention. God has a plan for this world. He knows what's best. Even when we don't. Football is kind of like that. When you put together a football team as a coach, the players don't always get to play the position they want to.
[28:31] Or even the one they're used to. That's why some of the best cornerbacks in the defense of national football are actually originally quarterbacks. That's why a left tackle finds themselves as a right guard.
[28:47] I was 14 years old. And I tried out for the freshman football team. Now, something you may or may not know about me. But when I was 14, I was about the size I am now. A lot of 14-year-old boys are about this tall.
[29:01] So when the coach saw me, this humongous monster of a 14-year-old, he made me a lineman. I don't want to be a lineman. I want to play linebacker.
[29:12] Or I want to run the ball or something. But not be a lineman. I don't want to do that. But he said, you're big. You're on the line. Get over there, craft. So if I wanted to play for the team and do the best for the team, I had to go where he put me.
[29:27] That's the way it worked. Ananias didn't want to help Paul. I mean, seriously. He didn't want to help Paul. He knew his reputation.
[29:38] He had heard about this guy. And I love this little conversation he has with God where he says, God, do you know about this guy? He's got some anger management issues.
[29:49] Maybe you haven't been paying much attention to him and you've been over in Tarshish or something. But, you know, really this guy's got some problems. Like God doesn't know. Like Ananias has to educate God about the realities of life.
[30:02] We never do that, do we? Remember when God first called me as a pastor, I said, no, you're talking about somebody else, not me. Seriously, dude. God, just get out of the fog and look for the right person.
[30:16] Because we think we know what God should know. But God didn't say to Ananias, well, let me explain this to you.
[30:27] He said, go. And when Ananias gave excuses, he said, go. No, I didn't ask you. I told you. A servant is not a volunteer.
[30:38] A disciple is not someone who questions the master of the universe but follows after him. You know, in football, they have a draft.
[30:52] It's a really weird kind of thing that for some reason Congress has even passed a law to allow. Because what happens is these talented players don't get the choice to work for who they want to.
[31:04] I don't know if you've ever thought of that. They come out of college. They don't get to see which team will pay them the most or where they can get the best job or even live in the city they'd like to like the rest of us do when we choose a job.
[31:17] They get drafted. You can play for the Seattle Seahawks if you can make a contract. Otherwise, you play for no one. But I want to play for Buffalo.
[31:29] I don't care where you want to play. You go where we tell you to go. I was drafted in the ministry. Some people actually volunteer to be pastors.
[31:42] God bless them. I didn't. I didn't want to be a pastor. I thought this was a crazy idea. I didn't like the idea of the job. I didn't like the idea of the lifestyle.
[31:56] And I didn't want to do it. And I said no. And God said go. You see, disciples have to do what God says.
[32:08] When we say no, he says go. Saul. Ananias. They were both drafted. Saul had his own plan for ministry.
[32:19] And God knocked him on his keister and said go. Disciples do what the Lord wants. And what we're looking to do is to have more disciples in the church.
[32:32] We appreciate our volunteers. They're very wonderful. And we love you for the service that you give. They even have a new connection site. You can sign up to be a part of ministries.
[32:45] But we need to move past volunteers. Past what do I get and on to what do I give. So that we make disciples of Jesus Christ. Turning the crowd into the core.
[33:01] Turning the occasional fans into followers. You see, disciples live a full life for God. In verse 15, it actually says, The Lord said to Ananias, Go, this man is a chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles.
[33:21] Now, in other versions, it says a chosen vessel. Which is a little better understanding than this particular interpretation. A chosen vessel. A vessel is something that holds something.
[33:32] Like this cup. The cup isn't what's important. It's what you put into it. I really don't want an empty cup. This is good. This is useless.
[33:43] You get it? God didn't call us to be useless. He called us to be useful. Servants. Of God. And the problem is, without a purpose.
[33:56] Without a reason for being. Without a reason to exist. We're empty. We're empty. Have you ever read about a frog who dreamed of being a prince?
[34:11] And then became one? Well, except for the names and a few other changes. You talk about me. My story's the same one. But I've got an emptiness deep inside.
[34:23] And I've tried and it won't let me go. And I'm not a man who likes to swear. When I never cared for the sound of being alone.
[34:35] There's just an emptiness in a lot of people. Saul felt it. And so he filled it up with hate. And ambition. And religion. Other people fill it up with work.
[34:47] Or drugs. Some people fill it up with entertainment. They get addicted to these little games they play. My gosh, I went and saw one of those 3D ones with the goggles the other day.
[34:58] And I was like, whoa. I can see how you get hooked on this. I don't even have to look at the real world. We get addicted on entertaining ourselves. Distracting us from the real life.
[35:10] The real world we live in. Whatever it takes to make that emptiness go away. Anyway, Ananias came to Saul.
[35:23] In verse 17, he says, God has sent me. So that you might see again and be filled. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the place where Saul receives the Holy Spirit of God.
[35:39] I was on a confirmation retreat yesterday. And we were talking to the young people there. And I said, you know, everything they learn. Everything they learn in the classes is good. But they get all the knowledge about God.
[35:51] And it won't mean a thing if they don't get the presence of God into their lives. Amen? Because it's the power of the Holy Spirit. It's the filling. It's the presence of God himself with us.
[36:02] That changes everything. I didn't read the Bible so I could get next to God. I got next to God and that made me want to read the Bible. So, God will fill us up and change who we are.
[36:20] Paul now can see. He can see, not just with his eyes, which he can. But he can see the truth about everything he was doing.
[36:30] He was going completely the other way and he had to turn around for God. In John chapter 15, Jesus says to us, If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love.
[36:44] Just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. If you do what I ask, then God's love will be in you. If you do what Jesus wants, then God will have his love in you.
[36:57] I have told you this so that my what? My joy. My joy may be in you. And that your joy may be complete. We're not talking about a happy feeling.
[37:08] We're not talking about at the end of the movie where we go, Oh, that was good. We're talking about a sustaining presence of God that takes us through the brokenness, the pain, the hurt of this life with power and strength.
[37:19] But it's not just about us. And see, that's where we go from being volunteers to being servants. Because it goes on to say, put it back up there, man.
[37:30] My command is this. Say it with me. Love each other as I have loved you. See, it changes us. It changes us.
[37:41] It gives us an attitude adjustment from selfish to caring. Because the crowd wants whatever they can get. Give us another fish sandwich, Jesus, or we're walking away.
[37:51] The crowd pushes down. God builds up. In the NFL, they actually have something called penalties.
[38:02] Just in case somebody breaks the rules. Because they know that there's people out there that are living only for the selfishness that they can get. This is the most famous of all. Finally, in New York, the Jets against the Bills.
[38:15] Marty Lyons gives it to Jim Kelly after the income played fast. A fight breaks out. And after everything clears, the referee gives the official call. And, folks, it was the ruling of the day.
[38:27] There's a personal foul. I will pick this up. On number 99 of the defense, after he tackled the quarterback, he's giving them business down there. That's a 15-year-old. They're giving them the business penalty.
[38:38] I love it. Nowhere in the rule books will you find it. But the guy says, it's just not right. He's giving them the business. That guy must have been from Buffalo.
[38:52] See, that's the way we look at life. If we can give somebody else the business, maybe we can get ahead in life. We can push other people down. Maybe we'll get where we want to go.
[39:04] But disciples are different. They're part of a team, part of a family. And they're trying to lift people up. Ananias, in verse 17, actually calls Saul brother.
[39:17] Brother? He doesn't even like this guy. He doesn't know this guy. He said he didn't even want to go near this guy. And he calls him brother. He makes him part of the family.
[39:31] What an amazing idea. You see, what Ananias knew is that you can be loving even when you don't feel loving. God does not command you to have a feeling.
[39:44] Nothing more than feelings. He commands you to go do something. Go do something. Go help somebody up. Go pull them up. Go do something that makes the world a better place.
[39:57] That guy from the Denver team. He left Tyroy Taylor laying on the ground.
[40:09] Did I say that right? Doesn't matter. Our quarterback. And you could just see it on his face. What?
[40:22] What? You come over to give me a hand and you do this? Really? See, what you got to remember about professional football is that those guys travel around a lot.
[40:34] They could be on any team anywhere. And the truth is, someday that guy might be playing with that quarterback. At some point, he might need that quarterback to speak up for him.
[40:46] At some point, he might need somebody who stands for him when he needs it. And all of Tyrod's... Rod... Tyrod's... All that quarterback.
[41:00] All of his friends are watching what he just did. And saying, man, if I get a chance, I'm going to leave him on the ground too.
[41:10] See, the truth is, is in life, we sometimes think that getting ahead means pushing somebody else down. But really in life, getting ahead means pulling people up.
[41:22] Even people we may not know or see. That's why we keep taking these offerings for all these different hurricanes and things. Because these people are hurting. Maybe someday it'll be us.
[41:34] It's like a blizzard. Or something. We don't ever have those anymore, do we? It's not what I can get. It's what I can give. In verse 16, Jesus says that he's going to show Saul how much he must suffer in my name.
[41:53] The truth is, as we first hear that we're going to suffer, the first time we hear there's pain, or there's struggle, or there's sacrifice, or maybe inconvenience, or whatever it is that comes along with following God, we're out of there.
[42:09] I'm not disrupting my life, and I'm certainly not going to suffer for God. That's the answer of the crowd. It's not the answer of a disciple, because a disciple knows that God was willing to suffer for us.
[42:27] God was willing to give up his perfection for us. God was willing to go and hang on a cross and die in agony for us. And as we follow God, we don't look for what can we get, we look for what can we give.
[42:42] Sometimes it's not easy. Saul became Paul. Even people who aren't Christians have heard of Paul. The great apostle who went around the world bringing people to Christ, wrote all kinds of books in the Bible.
[42:56] Ananias? Who's ever heard of this dude? He's not much of anybody in the book, is he? But he was okay with that. So when I was a freshman, I was like, you know, Hercules.
[43:10] Hold them my way, little ones. But I don't know if you've noticed, I'm really not that big. And as life went on, these guys got to be bigger and bigger.
[43:23] And the next thing you know, I'm on the line, and I'm going, like this. And I found myself president of the bench club. That's what they called me.
[43:34] There's Kraft. He's president of the bench club. He never plays. He just sits on the bench and gives people water when they come back from the field. That stinks. I don't want to be on the bench club.
[43:48] Have you ever seen these journeyman quarterbacks? They come and they go. We've had, like, about 40 of them in Buffalo, right? They come, they go. Because they're only talented enough to be, like, number 40 in the depth chart.
[44:02] Which means that they're better than, like, 330 million people at playing football. But they're only, you know, good enough to make number 40. So they ride the bench.
[44:13] Remember Frank Reich? Put him on the bench. He's behind Jim Kelly, right? We love to root for those guys until they get in the game. And then we say, trade them!
[44:24] Get them out of here! But the truth is, as a good coach knows, that a strong bench makes a good team. Because it's not just what Saul did here.
[44:38] It's not even just what Ananias did here. These guys that were friends of Saul's, they let him into the city. Somebody put him up in the building. Later on, they're going to protect him, and they're going to help him.
[44:49] And nobody even knows who those people are. Sometimes, little things can be acts of discipleship, too. We're going to have some fish fries in the coming weeks, all right?
[45:03] Now, those are cool, and we do raise some money for the church. And it's a great way to meet some people, make some friends. And it's kind of fun cooking fish or serving it and stuff.
[45:13] But do you know why we really do fish fries? Because, believe it or not, there's folks, and I know some of them are sitting right here, who check us out at the fish fry. They want to see if church people really are loving and kind and what they talk about, or are they mean and nasty and, you know what I mean.
[45:32] So they come to a fish fry, and they see what happens. And believe it or not, your smile is what brings them to Jesus. All you did was give them a plate of fish. All you did was clean up some stuff.
[45:44] All you did. But when they see that you're smiling and enjoying yourself and doing some wonderful things with each other and helping each other out, they go, I want to be part of this.
[45:55] That's why we do fish fries. We could replace the money. We could replace the event. But what a great opportunity to have an impact that might change the life of someone forever.
[46:10] So that now not only could we win the prize, but so could somebody else. You see, being a servant is about not our getting ahead, but everyone getting ahead.
[46:21] On the last day, they're going to stand before Jesus, as it says in Matthew. And he'll say, well done, good and faithful servants. You've been faithful with a few things.
[46:33] I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness. I've got an emptiness deep inside, and I've tried but won't let me go.
[46:47] Or do we sing? Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.
[47:00] God is calling you. Can you hear him? God is asking you. Are you listening?
[47:12] God has shown you a vision for your life. Can you see it? God spoke to Ananias, and he said, yes. And here's probably what I think is the most fascinating part of it.
[47:29] Ananias was the answer to Saul's prayers. The crowd does what they want.
[47:39] The crowd goes out and does some volunteer work once in a while. Makes them feel better. The disciples not only answer God, but they're the answer to someone else's prayers.
[47:57] Today. God is calling you. To answer him. And to be there. When someone else needs their prayers.
[48:09] Answered as well. I want to hear you say a word to me well done.
[48:29] I want to hear you say good and faithful servant. I want to hear you say I prepared a place for you.
[48:46] Let all the treasures of this world fade away. Jesus, you are my reward.
[49:00] Hear your voice on that day. It's all I'm living for. Jesus, you are my reward.
[49:13] See your face on that day. It's all I'm living for. Lord. I want to hear you say a word to me well done.
[49:44] I want to hear you say good and faithful servant. I want to hear you say I prepared a place for you.
[50:00] Let all the treasures of this world fade away. Jesus, you are my reward. Jesus, you are my reward.
[50:13] Hear your voice on that day. It's all I'm living for. Jesus, you are my reward.
[50:27] Jesus, you are my reward. You are my reward. You are my reward. To see your face on that day. It's all I'm living for.
[50:38] Jesus, you are my reward. Jesus, you are my reward. Jesus, you are my reward. To see your face on that day. It's all I'm living for.
[50:50] Jesus, you are my reward. Jesus, you are my reward. To see your face on that day. It's all I'm living for.
[51:05] Jesus, you are my reward. Let downあれta Jesus, you are my reward.
[51:19] This is all I'm living for. Elliot Haven�ks Is a that time of life. Let go of everything. içinde Oh my DAVID Oh my DAVID And what I found out there is I found out a source of I see the King of glory Coming on the clouds with fire The whole world shakes The whole world shakes I see His love and mercy Washing over all I see The people sing The people sing Hosanna, Hosanna
[52:23] Hosanna in the highest Hosanna, Hosanna Hosanna in the highest I see a generation Rising up to take their place With selfless faith With selfless faith I see a new revival Stirring as we pray and sing We're on our knees We're on our knees
[53:25] Hosanna, Hosanna Hosanna, Hosanna Hosanna in the highest Hosanna, Hosanna Hosanna in the highest Fill my heart and make it free Open up my eyes To the mainland sea Show me how to love like you And love me Break my heart for what is yours Hosanna, Hosanna
[54:28] Hosanna, Hosanna Hosanna in the highest Hosanna, Hosanna Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest Heavenly Son of as I am Hosanna, Hosanna Hosanna in the highest Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.
[55:08] Hosanna in the highest. The word Hosanna means God save us.
[55:27] And God wants to do that for us. God invites us every week to an invitation to remake our relationship with God.
[55:39] Because every time we sin, it becomes more and more broken. So we sing Hosanna, God save us as we come back again and say, Lord, I am yours. And yet at the same time, Lord, I'm a sinner and I need you.
[55:51] So won't you pray a prayer confession along with me? Lord, I am a sinner. I need your grace. I've been self-focused.
[56:04] I've been selfish. I've not been as giving as you would want me to be. With my time. With my money.
[56:17] With my life. With my life. Forgive me, Lord. Forgive me, Lord. Set me on the right path. Set me on the right path. Turn me into your disciple. Turn me into your disciple.
[56:29] That my life will proclaim you. That my life will proclaim you. Forgive me for my sins, Lord. Forgive me for my sins, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray.
[56:40] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Hear the good news. Christ died for us while we were still sinners. And this proves God's love for you and for me.
[56:52] So in the name of Jesus Christ we can proclaim your sins are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ your sins are forgiven. Glory to God.
[57:02] Amen. And now as a forgiven body of Christ. A faith community. Let's share the peace of the spirit with one another. Peace.
[57:18] Morning. Peace. Namaste. Peace. Peace be with you. Peace be with you. Are we actually going to do this song?
[57:28] I don't know. I don't know. I don't know either. We're going to roll with it. Yep. Did you have to move your capo?
[57:39] Ah, yeah. For this? Yeah. Sorry about that. No, no. When I saw him fingering a date cord, I should have figured it out. Yeah. I don't know.
[58:04] Jesus. You are my King. You are my King.
[58:19] Jesus, you are my King. Jesus, you are my King.
[58:34] I'm forgiven because you were forsaken. I've accepted you were condemned.
[58:47] I'm blind and well. You're searing is within me. Because you died and rose again.
[59:02] Please be loved by the hand and teeth. That you, my King, would die for me.
[59:13] I'm being raised in my heart. I'm raising all I know is true. It's my joy to honor You.
[59:28] In all I do, I honor You. In all I do, I honor You.
[59:40] In all I do, I honor You. In all I do, I honor You. In all I do, I honor You. Amen. As we recommit our life to Christ, in all we do, we strive to honor Christ.
[59:55] And we come this day to celebrate that we've been forgiven. To remember what Christ did for us and to celebrate that we have a new life.
[60:06] Beginning here and now. And so it doesn't matter if this is your first time here or you've been here all along. If you are wanting to be in relationship with God, you are welcome to the table.
[60:17] The Lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to You, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
[60:36] You formed us in Your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away and our love failed, Your love remained steadfast.
[60:46] You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through the prophets. And so with Your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise Your name and join their unending hymn.
[61:01] Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
[61:11] Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy are You and blessed is Your Son, Jesus Christ. Your spirit anointed Him to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to announce that the time had come when You would save Your people.
[61:37] He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection, you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
[61:56] When the Lord Jesus ascended, he promised to be with us always in the power of your word and Holy Spirit. But on the night in which Jesus gave himself up for us, he took the bread, he gave thanks to you, Father Almighty, and he broke the bread.
[62:14] He gave it to his disciples, and he said, This is my body, which is given for you. Eat of this often, remembering me.
[62:28] And when the supper was over, he took the cup, and he gave thanks to you, and he said, This is the blood of the new covenant, poured out for you, poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins.
[62:44] Drink of this often, remembering me. And so in remembrance of these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving, as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
[63:10] Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. And pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
[63:28] By your Spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
[63:39] Through your Son, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever. Amen.
[63:51] And now let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
[64:05] Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
[64:19] For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. For those who are serving, please come forward. Amen. For both, in heaven, and 39, weeks at high of the most, remember, when the three day doesn't have been laid, they are not done.
[65:03] Know when the three day drops by shtick in the heaven of the spring, we pray them, and theMichael, and the incredible section. And thank you all, as we speak to God. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[65:15] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[66:18] Amen. God is calling you, even you, to be his disciple, to be filled by his power and his wonder.
[66:38] That's what we do when we come to communion. We take God right into our lives. So you're all welcome, no matter who you are, where you come from. You want to be a disciple of Jesus. Come and join us at the table.
[66:50] You're welcome at the rail for prayers for healing and anointing or to light a candle. Come and join us with the Lord. We pray together, we pray.
[67:25] Our elderly Lord and we pray together. We pray together, we pray together and pray together. Amen. Amen.
[68:29] Amen. Amen.
[69:29] Amen. Amen.
[70:29] Amen. Amen.
[71:29] I would like to invite you all to stand if you're able as we sing together, Are Ye Able?
[71:59] Are you able, said the Master, to be crucified with me?
[72:18] Hear the sturdy dreamers answer, to the death we follow thee. Lord, we are able, our spirits are thine.
[72:36] Revolve and make us like the divine. Thy guiding radiance above us shall be.
[72:51] Obedient to God, to love and loyalty. Are you still, O Master, whispers down eternity?
[73:08] And your own experience answer, thou hast been in Galilee. Lord, we are able, our spirits are thine.
[73:25] Revolve and make us like the divine. Thy guiding radiance above us shall be.
[73:42] A beacon to God, to love and loyalty. My senior year, I went into the coach and I said, coach, am I going to play?
[73:55] Because really, I'm not wasting my time if I'm not going to play. And he said, well, you never know. I mean, you're a good athlete. I said, coach, am I going to play? He said, probably not. I said, I'm done. I quit. I'm going to get a job, make some money.
[74:06] The team was awful that year. Injuries everywhere. You know, all I want to do is play. And I stayed on the team, stuck it out, sat on the bench. I probably would have gone in.
[74:18] You know, God has an opportunity for you. God has a place for you. Everybody plays with God. God just wants you to say, I'll go. Not say no.
[74:29] May the Lord bless you and be with you. May the Lord give you his strength. May the Lord give you his guidance. And open up your eyes to see all that God has planned for you. Go as disciples of Christ.
[74:40] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[75:06] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.