JUL 27 2026 | The Book of Acts S1E1 | Courage Leaves The Building

Talking to Harry in the back. Hey, Harry. Good conversation, buddy. I heard the music stop, I'm like, "I think I need to be somewhere right now." What's up, church? Good to see you. How you guys doing? Happy Sunday. All you that are online watching, my wife will be one of them today. My mom will be one. She's at a skilled nursing facility. Bunch of y'all out there, hello. We know you're there. I want to remind you as well, go to our homepage at seechangechurch.org and take the spiritual gift survey. You all can do that as well. And then we have some other resources that are coming out.

But take that spiritual gift survey. We're going to find out what your gifts are. We want to see you get equipped to go out and make a difference in the world. We're moving into a new, well, it is a 12-week series, and it's four weeks on the purpose of the church, which we did. We've been working on an e-book for that and for the whole series, because really, this is a vision series for where our church is going. And I will say there's some sort of dispensation that's getting to you guys, because I have never had as much response consistently to a sermon series about what we're doing, what God's doing, and where we're going.

So the first four weeks were the purpose of the church. The second four weeks were fruit and gifts. We want to equip you up. We want to see you get mature. And then now we're moving in, which the entire e-book will eventually be called, once I finish it, will be called "The Church Has Left the Building," and it's for you guys. We're not really writing it to put it on Amazon and be the next great author of whatever. It's written for you so you can understand the vision of who we are and where we're going, and hopefully, you want to be part of a church that is making a difference in the world.

I believe that the attractional model is going to be coming to an end soon. There's an attractional model, better worship songs, which I think we do great worship songs. Better preaching, better social media accounts. Look at a church, there's a lot of stuff going on, better children's ministry. It'll draw people, and that's great. But I believe that will come to an end. That only has so much gas in the tank, and the rest of the fuel, if you don't equip it, which is you guys, you guys are plan A, going out into the world, into all the spheres of influence to make a difference where we equip you, and then we help unite you to do that.

That's where we're going as a church. And I believe as the world is changing, there's a few things happening. So that we're going to lean into that. And so God gave me that vision, and the more I've been doing this survey or this study, the more I'm seeing this is where the church needs to be equipped. God is equipping, sending churches right now, for a season that is ahead of us, where people are going to be looking for something that is real. They're going to be looking for the gospel with flesh on it. They're going to be looking for people who will actually visit them.

They're going to be looking for something that is not artificial but is real. And the churches of Christ that can be the most real are the ones that I think are going to have the most impact. And we don't want to miss that as that's happening, as everyone is fascinated on where the world's going geopolitically, what's happening with AI, and all these different things. And I think we're going to be doing a few podcasts here and there with some of the other pastors and leaders in this church, and people who are part of this church in those industries to kind of talk through some of those issues on a different format.

I'm not really going to do it from the pulpit because it's a little difficult with all the nuance these days and everything that's coming at you. But in the midst of all that happening, I think what's going to happen is that God is equipping us and to be a sending church where the world's changed by you. Now, he's given me, that's the first word I feel like God has given me as a download for you guys. The second is for you, and I felt like the Lord spoke this to me, and hopefully, it'll help you, to say two things to you about the future. There's a lot of worry about the future right now, and I can easily get caught up in that as well.

The robots are going to get me. Neo in The Matrix is after me. They're going to find me. They're going to whatever it is. It's really easy to get caught up in all that, right? And all the promises that are being made. I was listening to someone yesterday, and he said, he was being interviewed. He leads one of the AI companies, and he said, "We're going to get to the point where AI can grant your every wish." I'm like, "What sucker believes that?" Maybe you can get my Amazon delivery here a little quicker. Maybe you can give me a little more info and knowledge. The only thing that can satisfy you in that God-shaped hole is a loving Father who says, "You are mine.

You're not an orphan, and I sent my Son to die for you on the cross," and that gives you meaning. And so the churches that are in touch with that message and the believers who are in touch with that are going to be the ones that make a difference. And so that's what this message, The Church Has Left the Building, is about. So the two things in regard to the future I want to say to you is this. There's two types of believers, one who is waiting for a returning victorious Christ, and one who is waiting for Antichrist. Big difference. You can be aware of Antichrist.

But if your whole focus as a believer is on the bad things that are happening, all the things that are coming your way, and all the fear of the future, you are going to be focusing on the darkness as opposed to focusing on the light And what Jesus is saying, that while Antichrist will come, it's just part of the plan, and I need you to look beyond that. If you can look over your fears of all the future to a Christ who is returning, that's what your point-- It's going to be. And it's easy to see believers who are focusing on the message of the world versus those who are reflecting on the message of scripture and a returning Christ.

So, that's the first thing I want to say about the future. The second thing in response to this is, hopefully this gives you peace because it gave me peace, is that God is sovereign. He is on the throne. He is in charge of every element of human history. Nothing happens without his dictate, without his approval. It all happens for a reason. He is reigning. He is not waiting until Antichrist and the world ends so he can reign. He is currently reigning, and it says in the scriptures that you are reigning with him. In the Psalms it says that, "The Lord said to my Lord," that would be David speaking about his Lord, which would be Messiah, Christ, said to God the Father, his Lord, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at'" what?

"'My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool underneath your feet.'" And it goes on, and it's an incredible passage. But what he's saying is, while we want to be active, while we want to be going, the basis of everything we're doing is sitting at his right hand and letting him take victory. It says in the New Testament, when you have stood, when you've done everything to stand, stand. It doesn't say run out and get crazy in the battle. We are in a battle, and we will be out there. So, those are the things I want to say to you. I think that is the direction of the church.

It's an equipping church that sends you, and you are plan A. This is pre-sermon bumper, by the way. Second thing, if he tells me to say it, I'm going to say it. Thank you, Ellen. I appreciate the media team coming in for me right there. The second thing is, who are you waiting for? Is your eyes on the victorious Christ? Are you fearful about the bad things that are going to happen? And two, do you really believe that Jesus is in charge of human history? Do you really believe that there's no politician, potentate, next-door neighbor, whoever it is, who wasn't put there for a reason and allowed there for a reason?

Now, we have agency in that. That's what we're going to talk about right now. If you have your Bibles, open up to Acts 6:1-10. I'm excited about this message. I love that church has left the building. I think it's so cool. Put that picture back up, would you please? Thank you. Isn't that cool? It says seat change on the door. It's all empty. None of you are here. It's awesome. Where'd they go? They're out doing the work of the kingdom, is what they're doing. All right. I'm going to read it. And if you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you once again, I'm going to keep saying it, bring a Bible to church and mark it up.

Let it be your church Bible. We're in the English Standard Version right now. And in Acts 6 it says this, seven chosen to serve. "Now in the days when the disciples were increasing in number," underline increasing in number, "a complaint," circle complaint, "by the Hellenists," that's the Greeks, Gentiles, "arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, 'It's not right that we should give up the preaching of the word to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute.'" That doesn't really fit the patriarchy, does it?

To have the men wait the tables, but nonetheless, the men are chosen to wait the table. "'Full of the Spirit and of the wisdom whom we will appoint to this duty, but we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.' And what they said pleased the whole gathering." I like that. "And they chose Stephen," circle Stephen, and then underline, "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit," two components there. "And Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid hands on them. And the word of God," this is the big part.

Here's the coup de grâce. The word of God, "continued to increase." Mm. "And the number of the disciples multiplied greatly," circle multiplied greatly, "in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith." Powerful. Super powerful as we look into this in this passage about church having an immediate issue. We're not far in from upper room, Holy Spirit falling, everyone's in complete unity, right? And now you got the Hellenists that have come in, so it's a big deal. Jews have been doing this Israelite worship for a very long time, and then you get some barbarians, you get some Macedonians in there, you get some Greeks in there.

Maybe even had some Persians, I don't know, but this one happened to be the Hellenists. Imagine what that would be like. All of a sudden, God says, "Hey, the kingdom's open to all these people, and now go get along. Share your toys." And they were struggling to do that, and so there was a threat that you see coming to the church. The big idea is we're really going to focus on Stephen. We're going to look at these men who were picked, really gifted people, and asked to care for the church so that those that were teaching would not be out sweeping. Now, I've always said if you can't clean a toilet and you're not willing to clean a toilet at the church, you shouldn't be on stage, right?

I've said it multiple times. I think that's true. Paul probably could have just spit-shined one of those pit toilets back in the first century like no other. I bet he would have just done it for Christ amazingly. But do you want him doing that, or do you want him teaching? And it says we see the result here, and we'll see in a moment, is when the church stepped up and on the third corner, remember, there's four corners in our church, your heart, your home, the church, and the world. This is the third corner. This is a third and fourth corner story, right? They're in the church, and then Stephen goes out into the streets and begins to speak, which I think is often, as he went out and did these things, and the word of God continued to increase.

Now, as we do that, we see people stepping up, and this is what we're asking of you. We're asking you to step up and realize that you're plan B, and we're going to equip you in your gifts to do that. So that's why it's important that every one of you takes this spiritual gift survey, even if you know what your gifts are, because it's going to give us your information, and then we're going to have a night of gifts. And then when we have an evangelistic thing, we can invite all the evangelists. "Hey, evangelists, we're going out to Claremont, we're going to do this thing." Hey, servants, not that the evangelists wouldn't come to serve, but, hey, servants, we got a church cleanup day, and we know who to go to first.

We're going to organize you in an army of God's consolation and love, and that's what the church is doing here. Here's your big idea. Acts repeatedly shows that the mission of Jesus was never intended to depend on a handful of extraordinary leaders. Okay? The apostles provide the foundation, but the expansion of the church happens. This is why. The expansion of the church happens because ordinary disciples, business owners, homemakers, servants, mentors, hosts, craftsmen, unnamed believers, say yes to God where they are, and then the Holy Spirit empowers everyday people to make an extraordinary difference. Ordinary people. This entire sermon series, other than Stephen, it's probably a good chance you haven't heard about a lot of them.

Some of them you will have heard from. I might expand it to eight weeks, I'm not sure, because there's so many great stories of Cornelius and Jason and Lydia and Priscilla and Aquila. There's all these people. That's you. The ordinary people that went out and made a difference on one of those corners where they changed the world. That's you. And so when I asked first service, I didn't do it second service, last week, "How many of you know your gifts?" And about 40% of you raised your hands, and then I said, "How many of you know where God has called you to go serve and change the world?" And about 20% of you change the world.

I realize we're on the right track because it's time for us to shift that so that we can send, and we can equip and send based on where God is calling you, and it means having skin in the game. I don't think church is going to be very attractive to many people if it's just about watching extraordinary leaders and gifted people do things on stage. I don't think we're going to be able to compete with the coming wave of dopamine that is going to be available to the world. And so the thing that's going to have to make a difference is you guys being the flesh and blood that's like, "Hey, I'm going to call that person.

They visited me when I was sick. They were there to help me when I needed to move. I was able to send my child to them for counsel. They came to my wedding, or we just hang out on a regular basis and enjoy ourselves." Here's the context. Go to verse one. God was on the move and disciples were increasing. Verse one, now in these days, circle-- I think I had you underline these days, when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews rose up against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. First thing that we see here that I think is really important, in these days.

Now, the word is not kairos, and there's a kairos, moments of God, and I thought that would've been the word that they were using because that means that God is on the move and he's doing something. Because they didn't use that word doesn't mean that God wasn't on the move. You see that throughout this passage, that it starts in the beginning and at the end of this passage, that the church continues to, step-by-step, increase in number by people who are being drawn to the faith. It was even Jewish priests. It says in that passage that even priests were coming because Stephen was going out into the streets and making persuasive arguments in the public square.

But we see that in that, that God was moving. And I want to tell you, God is moving now. There is a movement, it's not even an undercurrent anymore. I called it about two years ago. I saw it happening when I would meet Gen Z students. It happened two Easters ago, and I'd seen them coming, and these two girls showed up, and I said, "Oh, nice to meet you." They said, "We've been coming for a few weeks." And I said, "Oh, so, what church have you gone to before?" And the one girl goes, "Well, I've never gone to church. I didn't raise in the church." And I said, "Oh, well then you must have brought her.

What church are you from?" She goes, "No, I wasn't raised in the church either." I said, "Well, who invited you?" They said, "No one." I said, "What do you mean no one?" And then she says, "Well, we wanted to check out church and Jesus, so I went to some websites, and we found your website, and we drove here, and we've been coming for a few weeks now. And next week we have six friends in our dorm at San Diego State and we're going to bring them." And so they were here for a while. I don't-- Yeah, right? Well, that's a God thing, and that was happening in this passage.

I'm really concerned about the misdirections and focus of so much of the church. And it's happening with Gen Z especially. It's happening with all generations, that Satan like, "Look at this. This is really important. Get really ticked off about this." Your neighbor has cancer and is in the hospital, but we're too busy doing this with an opinion about something that's happening somewhere in the world or somewhere in our city that we're never going to do anything about. Are you going to step in and do something about it or just rage about it? So I think that Satan is like, "Look at this. Look at this.

Hey, church, get upset here. Get divided here." I see that now. I see this with every generation I hang out with. When they're in groups, the topics that are at the top of the media tend to come up. It's important for us to know what's going on in the world, but it's more important to know what's going on With the word of God. And John Stott, great theologian, said, "If you're going to read the newspaper, read it in your right hand, your Bible in your left." So something is happening. I want to tell you, something is happening. God, right now, and I believe this is what he's doing, I believe we are in that season, in that season where he is saying, "Hey, these people don't want it.

Go out into the streets and find the ragamuffins. Go find the ones who are just out there on the street corners and call them in because the ones who I have called have not shown up to the banquet." I believe we're in that season. And once again, if you're using this-- Look, one of the best things you can do during a prayer meeting, I'm on my phone all the time in a prayer meeting. People think I'm probably scrolling. I'm usually not. Sometimes I do, but not often. I'm usually texting people, "Hey, I just prayed for you." This is one of the most powerful tools in human history.

It's more powerful than Alexander the Great's Macedonian army, right? It's powerful. But it can be a huge distraction if we're not doing it properly. So the first thing I want to say, in these days, it's happening again. We are in the in these days, and it goes back to the days where Joshua, excuse me, Joel prophesied about that in the end times, God will pour out his spirit and he's doing it. So that's the first thing that we see. It says also that the disciples were increasing in number. We are seeing that people are coming back to the church, especially Gen Z. They are coming back to the church.

Unfortunately, when they're coming back into the church, if they're not being discipled, they're just drinking a whole cacophony or whatever, that's a mixed metaphor, but a whole glass of YouTube ideas and oftentimes misdirection as opposed to being discipled by somebody like many of you in the church who can take them to the word of God and show them how to be a mature believer. And so what I'm finding is there's this desire for knowledge in our society right now and I want to say that knowledge is great but we can be puffed up by knowledge. But it's soft hearts that need to go out and make a difference in the world.

And so disciples were increasing. How are we going to meet that need? That's happening right now and if you're unaware of it, I'm going to tell you to be aware of it and I'm going to tell you, O sleeper, wake up. O sleeper, wake up. If you're being lulled to sleep, wake up and look around to the world that is at need. As the church grew, it faced two threats now because the church was growing and Satan wants to come across the church. So the first thing he wants to do is bring a division within the church and this is why one of the purposes of the church is unity, right?

It is that we would know our identity, that we'd be in unity, that we would grow in maturity, and that we would be sent into mission. Those are the four purposes of the church you'll hear over and over again. So if you go to verse, let's see, two. Excuse me, go to verse one again. I'll just read through this again. "Now in those days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because the widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of bread." One of the reasons pastors will not give a lot of authority to the church people is because you have human beings involved and it's much easier to control a staff than it is a congregation when they get on mission and start going out together, right?

And somebody will be upset and you'll have to work together and have proper biblical ways to deal with the issues that come up. And this one, the Hellenists are like, hey. You can see it'd be like, "Hey, you're not taking care of us because we're Greeks? What's the deal? Are you racist?" Are you guys racist? You're taking care of your Hebrew women but you're not taking care of the Gentiles? You can see can that not split a church? It's splitting our society, right? So that all of a sudden there is in the middle and I love what happens. I put the threat of disunity after a season of extreme unity was real.

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint rose up. Now here was the plan. Now they had to have a plan. The leadership needed to have a plan and the plan wasn't to come in with an authoritative hammer. The plan was to find people in the midst of the issue that were spirit-filled to help mitigate the issue. And so we see that they reach out and they're looking and so what they say is this. If you go to verse two, "And the 12 summoned the full number of the disciples." That's everybody. It's a congregational church at the moment, right? And they said, "It's not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables." Now you got to realize they don't have a Bible at this point.

Ain't no Bible. They got the Hebrew scriptures. They are making the Bible. This very meeting that they were in as they were speaking, they didn't know that was going to be in the Bible, I would imagine. It's just a historical record and we are in the historical narrative portion of our year right now. This is an historical narrative. But they were writing the Bible and so it was really important that they would remember, okay, you can just see some of the early apostles coming together like John talking to Peter like, "You remember when Jesus said that?" And Peter going to John like, "Well, he didn't say it that way.

Did he say it..." And they're just trying to remember everything that Jesus said and then trying to speak about it and teach about it so that that can happen. And so you need people that are preaching and doing this. So it says, "It's not right that we should give up the preaching of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out" so he's speaking to all the church there, all those people living together. "Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute" good reputation, "full of the Spirit" and they just had had the indwelling of the spirit. That had just happened not long ago.

"And of wisdom" super key Gifts of the Spirit, fullness of the Spirit without wisdom is like a hose that you don't have one of those pressure hoses, and you lose hold of it. I had it happen to me yesterday. I'm just getting wet. You ever done that out in the yard? Wisdom is when you're able to get two hands around that hose and hold it, and direct it where you want to bring impact and power. So they chose these seven men, and I love the qualifications. Men full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Now, it chooses seven of them, and what I think is interesting, and by the way, at the end there it says, "Nicholas, a proselyte of Antioch." Proselyte means a Greek who had transferred over to Judaism.

He'd become a Jew. That's what proselyte means in that. But these were all Hellenistic believers, but they were Jewish by origin and nature, and only the one there was not by birth Jewish. But so they chose seven men who were Jewish, and then they chose this one proselyte to come along with them. Here's what I think is interesting about this, is that they were chosen not for the stage, but rather to bus tables. These guys have all the qualifications. We know that Stephen could've had a sweet podcast. Right? He has a speech a little bit later on. He gets martyred for the faith, full of the Spirit, full of wisdom.

Imagine Stephen's podcast, man. That'd be amazing. It could be like a three-hour long-form podcast. It'd be amazing. That's the guy you want to do that kind of stuff. He was incredibly qualified. But he didn't balk when the group came up to him and said, "Hey, would you be a busboy?" You don't know how big that is. That you can go up to somebody with that much gifting, that much talent, that God is going to raise up from the busboy to be remembered throughout human history and eternity as the first martyr of the church, okay? Started as a busboy. No one wants to be a busboy.

Remember Charthouse? If you're Gen Z, there's a couple left, and you haven't been to Charthouse, there was an experience in the '80s that was amazing. I got to tell you, it was prime rib. It was mud cake. It was, oh. Yeah. You know, fresh bread. We all wanted to work there because you made $60 in tips a night, is what we heard, right? You couldn't have any job at Charthouse unless you started as the busboy. And if they hired you for the highest job, you went and you washed dishes, and then you went to be a busboy, and then you were a waiter, and you learned every way on the way up.

Before we start, you just need to ask yourself this question: Would you be willing if this church, your friends, not the leadership. The leadership is not the one asking here. The congregation is asking the congregation. Peter, Paul, all them, Peter didn't just go point out, "Okay, you, you, you." They would've done it because it's Peter. He said, "You go figure it out." If this congregation said to you, "Would you be a busboy?" Would you be honored or offended? I've seen a lot of people be offended. A grip of people be offended. And I don't think Jesus differentiates between being out in the street preaching the gospel and serving the widows.

Matter of fact, he says true religion is actually serving the widows. And so as we start, I'm going to ask you to check yourself. I'm checking myself through this whole sermon series if you can't notice. Check yourself. Are you willing to do the lowest of jobs in order to follow the Spirit? They weren't chosen for the stage. They were chosen to bus the tables. Says there, "Therefore, go and pick them out." And then you see the result. Go to verse seven. The result of this was exponential growth. Because of this decision, because they got these men who were able to go out and bus these tables and serve the widows and the women that were there and the people that were there, it says, "And the word of God continued to increase." The word began to increase.

And when the word increases, the word is often followed by proselytization, people coming to Christ, and the number of the disciples, not attendees at a worship event, "Multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith." Man, look at that. Satan comes in, we're pretty sure it's Satan, tries to cause an issue. They say, hey, like Phil Jackson coaching the Lakers. He never called timeout. Like, "Call a timeout, Phil." He's all, "No, I'll let the team figure it out." He lets the team figure it out, and when they do that, they come back, they get approval from the leadership, they lay hands on them, and then they send them out.

We want to lay hands on you in prayer and to send you out into the place. Once we figure out where your spot is, and we're identifying, over the next six months, we are going to give you an opportunity, if you choose. This is a self-help church at this point. Right? You're going to have to want it. We're going to identify your gifts with you. We're going to figure out where you are. We're going to pray for you and send you out to that place. And then we're going to partner with you to help change that place for the world. We are moving from an attractional model to a self-help model where you pick and choose if you really want to follow Jesus and be sent into the world to make a difference.

And that could be in homemaking, that could be on the basketball court, that could be on Wall Street, that could be wherever God sends you throughout the world. We see that, and the result was a great many people. It began to multiply. Well, here's what's interesting about Stephen. Stephen was on the third corner. First corner, your heart, second corner, your home, third corner, the church. And some people are called to be in the church. Some of you guys, God is just going to call you. I think it was Anna, she was in the temple when Jesus came. She never left the temple. There are some of you, God's going to be like, "Hey, look, I know there's a lot going on in your world, but I'm calling you to serve within the church." And you're going to say, like, "Hey, I'm going to be in charge of the ushers," or I'm going to...

That's your thing. I think Phil runs our missions. Diana, his wife, runs our discipleship. I think she told me she was discipling 19 women right now. I was like, "Dude, don't lose her." Phil's built this, and I asked Diana, I said, "Can I hire you?" Kind of just as a joke. "Can I hire you?" She goes, "Nope, I wouldn't work for the church." She goes, "I just want to do it the way I'm doing it." And I was like, "Okay." Some people have been called to work within the church. Some people have been called, "Hey, I'm not going to work within the church. I'm going to get fed by the church, but God has called me in such a strong way to this realty community," or to this whatever it is, that we want to equip you and send you out to do this.

But we see that Stephen, he doesn't stay in the church. He's got a side hustle, which is working within the church, bussing the tables, but in verse eight and nine, he goes out into the streets. Courage leaves the building. And he goes out and he begins to speak in the public forum, which is happening again today. It's all on the internet and YouTube and all that. In the Greek custom, they would go to the squares and they would have somebody get up and they'd have arguments, and they would discuss the topics of the day. And Stephen goes out, if you have your scriptures, turn to verse eight and nine.

It says, "And Stephen, full of grace and power," mm, power, "was doing great wonders and signs among the people." We'll get back to that in a second. "Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen, as it is called, and to the Syrians, and one of the Alexandrians," that's Alexander the Great from Alexandria, that city, "and one of those in Cilicia and Asia rose up and disputed with Stephen." But I love this, "But," conjunction. I love anything that happens after the conjunction, usually. "They could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking." They could not withstand the wisdom and the power and the courage with which he was speaking.

It was like they walked into a hurricane gale when he spoke. Look at all the groups that showed up. He was speaking, and it was like he stepped into the wind, and they could not withstand the wind that was blowing there because of the power and the wisdom. And they were being trained up. You know why he was being trained up? Where was he getting that knowledge and that understanding? He was getting it from the Holy Spirit, but also from those that were teaching him, probably Peter himself, not Paul yet. Probably Peter himself, and listening, and had the ability to get that teaching. Why? Because he was willing to bus the tables.

Maybe if Peter was bussing the tables, he doesn't have that kind of teaching. He doesn't have that kind of cache when he goes, C-A-C-H-E, when he goes into the public square. You see, we have to know the word of God, and we have to have the courage to speak the word of God. This needs to be a bold generation. And I will say right now, there's a thing, whoever can say the most outlandish thing is the most popular person. This is especially true in politics, right? Whoever can say the most outlandish thing is the person who gets the most whatever. And it's courageous, but it's kind of courageous because they know they get street cred for doing it, right?

The gospel's different. When you speak courageously in the gospel, it's either going to bring people to become disciples, have people disregard you completely, or hate you, right? That kind of happens in the public circle and other ideas as well. But he steps out with this courage. And I guess I have to ask you, who are you speaking to? When was the last time you had a conversation? What I find is when you speak to people now, it didn't happen in the first 24 months of what I call this velvet revival, where people would just ask questions about Jesus. Now, as soon as you start speaking about Jesus, there's all these distracting conversations that they want to start talking about.

And I say, "Well, I don't know about that. I want to talk about Jesus." Are you talking about Jesus? Are you speaking? And even if you're a kid and you're on the playground or you're on a sports team, are we speaking about Jesus? He went out, but he understood the scripture. I'm not looking for a bunch of YouTube opinions. I'm not looking for a bunch of podcast opinions. We want to build you up so that you actually know the scripture, you have memorization of the scripture, and not only that, you know Jesus and you abide with Jesus, so when you walk in the room, they know there's something different about you.

It's not hard to see these days. The way the world's going more and more, the people with peace, the people with a center, the people who abide and can sit quietly at the right hand of the Lord, are the ones when they walk in, people know there's a difference. And I have to say, that is going to be the mark that changes society. And I don't think we're in the season of a great revival where the streets are going to be filled. I do think we're in that season of, hey, if you don't, they won't come. Go find the castaways. Go find the broken-hearted. Go find the ones that are on the street corner.

Bring those to the banquet because no one else is coming. That's where I think we are. So if you're waiting, and we might have it. Look, I don't want to speak against a revival if God wants to do it. We might have this incredible revival where the whole city turns around, the whole nation turns around and we follow God. If you're waiting for that, I would say as you're waiting, that's great. Have hope for that. But be aware that it's very possible that He says, "Hey, I've done that. Now go get those last stragglers that are on the corners." I want to send you guys to the stragglers.

I want to send you to the low-hanging fruit. I want to send you the ones that really need, that aren't looking for an argument, they're looking for a faith and they're looking for a friend. And so as we finish, Stephen didn't win arguments with personality and intellect alone. He spoke with courageous, spirit-filled wisdom that no one could withstand. Chris, if you want to head up, please. Throughout history, I wrote, God has used ordinary people in ordinary places to accomplish extraordinary things. Ordinary people. The more ordinary you are, I think the better these days. When you just walk in the room and it's like you're plain clothed, and no one is like, "Oh, that person's really-- oh, they got so much hype," and whatever.

Ordinary people in ordinary places. I speak to the moms, especially you that are staying home It's so easy for the devil to tell you that the ordinary places that you have to go to every day have no meaning and you're losing your life. And all the things you ever should have been aren't happening because you're in this ordinary place. God knows right where you are. Some of you have made an incredible sacrifice of your gifts to go do that. And I'm just going to say to those that are in that place, not everyone can be in that place. Some moms have to work to make it work.

You have single moms. I get that. But to those that are being told, men as well, that you're in an ordinary place, and you can't make a difference in this place, and God has skipped and passed you by, you're missing the essence of his power in the gospel. That God uses ordinary people in ordinary places to do extraordinary things. Amen? Amen. Chris, would you stand, please? It's never been about performance or perfection. But striving for acceptance. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. It's never been about deserving or earning. It's a gift that's freely given. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood.

Does anyone have the right to be holy and righteous? You're a beggar spotless. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. Can anybody be worthy of forgiveness? Justified, forgiven. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. Hallelujah. I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood As I was sitting there, I felt like the Lord just spoke to my heart that some of you have a gift of giving. And there's a lot of people in the book of Acts who supported Paul's ministry and others' ministry throughout it.

And one of the things is this is Grow Sunday. We are trying to build a building that the kids can leave. We want to build a building that we can train them up so they can leave that building and go change the world. And if God has spoken to you about that, I want to encourage you to go talk to Steve, talk to whoever you can to pour into that as we move towards that. It is really key to that next generation. And with that, I want to bless you and send you today. Just in your own mind, step past the angry dragons of disqualification.

You're not qualified because of this, this, or this. They're at the gate. Just step right through them. And then just ask Jesus, because you can go boldly before his throne in Hebrews, it says, and say, "Where are you sending me?" Not what do you want from me? Not what do I have to do to make you happy? He's already chosen you before the foundations of the world. Where are you sending me? I'm just going to give a moment. Would anybody just speak up and just maybe one word into what community, realtor, soccer coach, banking, nursing. Where is God sending you? I want to hear. Where is God sending you?

Just a few speak up. Okay. Home. Where's that? The least. To the least of these. Anyone else? Family. Neighborhood. Yeah. Care of the earth. Anybody called into sports? Yeah. Banking? Financials? Real estate? Just extend your hands. I want to bless you. Lord Jesus, let it be clear, God, where you're sending us. We want to be like Stephen. We want to leave the building, Jesus. And I send this congregation out over this threshold with a real challenge to leave this building. You are leaving now. You have been taught up. I've done the best I can in the gift of teaching leadership that I have, and now I send you.

We anoint you. We pray over you to go have a different week making a difference for Jesus with wisdom and courage. If you need prayer, come forward. We want to pray for you today for anything. We bless you in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Love you guys. Good to see you Sunday. Hallelujah. I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I know it was the blood. Could have only been the blood. Halle-