The Book of Acts, Week Seven

Well, can we give Jesus praise? He’s the one that deserves it. Can we give our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? The praise that he so righteous he deserves? It is so good to be back here amongst family. I, I really feel at this point that I’m just home. And and it’s such a, a blessing to see familiar faces. And I’m, it’s kinda a shorter turnaround than normal because I’ve gotta get back. My wife has actually been doing some missionary work in the Dominican Republic, and we’re preparing for the next leg of that trip. But she’s actually with me today, and I’m just so glad that she’s here, glad to be here. And guess what? I’m a granddad. And yeah, I’m a granddad and I must admit that she is the most beautiful granddaughter that has ever been born to anybody.

And and that’s just the update of what’s happening in my world. But I believe you all that as we approach the word of God some, some discussions and some revelations can only come by God’s spirit. So can we just pray one more moment to ask God’s spirit to lead us. Father, thank you for the worship that’s been lifted. Thank you for the word of God is a lamp to our feet. It is a light on our path. It leads us and guides us. We aren’t unsure or uncertain of our steps. When your word leads us Holy Spirit, would you be the teacher? Would you be the one that illuminates your truth to us? That we will be transformed to be all that you’ve called us to be? And it’s in the name of Jesus that we pray. Amen and amen. Acts chapter 15, acts 15, verses one through 19 is where we’re gonna kind of have our focus and attention.

And Acts 15 verse one begins, certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers. Unless you are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved. This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed along with some other believers to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way. And as they traveled through Fania and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. The news made all the believers very glad when they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, the Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.

The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them. Brothers, you know that some time ago, God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel. And believe God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then why do you try to test God by putting on the nexts of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No, we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved just as they are. The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

And when they finished, James spoke up brothers, he said, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this. As it is written after this, our return and rebuild, David’s fallen intent, it’s ruins I will rebuild and I’ll restore it, that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord. Even all the gentiles who bear my name says the Lord, who does these things, things known from long ago, it is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. I wanna look at verse 19 again. It is my judgment, therefore that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. I wanna talk from the subject, grace for all, grace for all.

And there’s gonna be four points that we’re gonna look at, a complication that we see in the text, a conversation, a compromise, and a collective call. So there’s four points, a complication, a conversation, a compromise, and a collective call. So just giving a background of what’s happening. So Jesus Christ has already died and risen and he’s gone and caught a cloud back to heaven. And he’s now given to the apostles where that were his inner group, along with disciples and other converts to share the message of the good news to all that would hear it. But primarily those who were in Jerusalem were pretty much sharing that news with those who had Jewish background. So for the most part, those who were in Jerusalem and its surrounding communities were sharing the gospel, but they were sharing it primarily with those who were of Jewish descent.

But you all may remember a guy by the name of Paul he was out prior to that, a guy Saul of Tarsus. And this guy was converted on in a pretty miraculous way and given the charge and given the call by God to preach the same gospel. Not to the Jews, but to Gentiles and basically Gentiles or anybody that’s not Jewish. All right? So there’s Jews and everybody else. All right? And so the Bible tells us that Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles was so effective and so powerful. There was, there was gaining traction all in the, the region that was in that area. And so now there becomes a conflict. There becomes a discussion that is now gonna call him to have to come and have a conversation about this conflict. So look at verse one. Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and we’re teaching the believers.

Now, these are believers in Jesus Christ. They were teaching Christians. Unless you are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved. Now, I know for many of us, this has no relevance. No, no anything. But, but just imagine here at Cherry Hills, you invite one of your friends from work or one of your student, you know, friends at school, and, and they come and they and they get saved here. And you say, oh, I’m so glad you’re saved. And, and the next step is a room that we’ve got. Room 2 0 1. And that is where if you’ve not been circumcised, this may be a deal breaker, <laugh>, right? You know what I’m saying? And so we’re laughing, but this is actually happening. The Jews at this time were demanding that new converts entered into this, this, this act or this ritual of circumstances.

Now, in the old covenant God decided to have his people kind of identified in very unique and specific ways. He said, I want you to be different from all the other people groups around you. So they ate differently. Their dietary intake was different. They worshiped in a different way. But he said, I also want you to be circumcised, indicating that you all are chosen people different from any other people around me. And so, again, God had all these external things that he placed on the people of God in the old covenant to distinguish them. These external things, how you looked, how you dressed, what you ate or didn’t eat right the circumcision, right? All of these external things were indicators that they belonged to God. What Jesus said when I came, I didn’t come to abolish the law, but I came to indeed fulfill it.

And so when Jesus said, he said, I’m now coming and I’m gonna give you a circumcision of the heart, whereby you don’t have to go through rituals and externalities to be connected to me, but the things that I’m gonna do in you will start with the inner man. The things that I’m gonna do in you will start with the inside of you, the heart, and not just externalities. And so we see now a conflict. We see that these judaizers are saying to new converts. Unless you’re a circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you can’t even be say, well pastor, what does that have to do with us? It has a lot to do with us. ’cause There are many people who will tag on to salvation, something that they believe is important, that God doesn’t think is that important. There are many believers who will say, if you don’t worship the way that I worship, you’re not really saved.

If you don’t respond the way that I respond to Christ or to the things of God, you’re not really a Christian. So I demand that you respond the way that I respond. Now, you, I’m black. I don’t know if you guys know that, but I’m, I’m still black, haven’t changed. And the reason I bring this up is because my culture informs a lot of my life. I cannot leave my blackness behind. You know what I’m saying? So when I show up to a place I bring to wherever I am, the totality of my experiences, right? How I was raised, how I was reared, the environment I came from. And so do you, you bring into every circumstance and every reaction and every interaction, all of your past. Now the question becomes when the way that I act, I impose on another, the way that I view things I impose on another, and then equate that to salvation.

That is a dangerous and slippery slope. You say, well, what does that have to do with anything? Well, it has a lot to do with also the division that we see in our world. There’s never been a time that there’s been more division as we celebrate. And on the other side of the 4th of July weekend, the weekend that we remember the independence that we so joyfully experienced, that did not come free at all. But there are many people in this moment that are divided over the direction that our nation is gonna take. Would you think that that’s a true statement? Maybe. Yeah. Uhhuh. <Affirmative>, yeah. Okay. Alright. So here’s the, here’s the point. When that division becomes something that stands in the way of someone coming to Christ, when a person’s ideology, when a person’s worldview, when a person’s background becomes something that we impose on another, and say that the only way you can be saved is to think ideologically the way that I do and vote the way that I do and worship the way that I do and act the way that I do, we’re imposing something on them that God has not imposed on them.

And whether we know it or not, unwittingly, many of us are doing that, many of you have chosen not to even invite people over for the 4th of July weekend. ’cause You know, they don’t think the way you think. They don’t vote the way you do. They may not look the way that you do. And so in this text, we see a problem. We see a conflict. We see these individuals demanding something, and now we see a response that’s getting ready to happen. And it says verse two, this brought Paul and Barnabas. And these are the apostles or the, the, the spreaders of the gospel to the Gentiles into sharp dispute and debate with them. With who? With the church at Jerusalem. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed along with some other believers to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

Now, what I love about verse two is, you all, it means I can be saved and still have a dispute. I can be born again and still have a different opinion. We’re not all the same. We’re not gonna think the same. We’re not gonna act the same. We’re gonna not gonna worship the same. We’re not gonna vote the same. I just left the chapel service next door. And can I tell you something? Some of them may have responded a little differently than some of you might in this service. It doesn’t mean that they’re not less Christian. It doesn’t mean that they’re not less fervent in they’re love of God. But the way that they express, in the way that they emote is different than maybe you do. And how can one person tell another person, Hey, if your hands are not lifted, you ain’t really saved. If you’re not loud, you’re not really saved. If you’re not jumping around, you’re not really born again. Well, that might not be the way that God is wired them. That might not be their temperament. Now, everybody’s going to be as sweaty as I am. Not every preacher is going to get behind the pulpit and get as loud as I am, but to God be the glory that the world is not the same to God be the glory that there is diversity.

Can you imagine if all the plants look the same, right? Can you imagine everybody looked the same? And every, you know, God has wired us differently. But the Bible tells us that even though this discussion was happening, it was a debate, right? It was a difference of opinion. And to God be the glory that you can be born again and you can be saved and still have a differing opinion. It’s not about the difference of opinion that we’re talking about. It’s the way that we handle it. It’s the method in which we engage in debate. It’s the message and the method that we engage in difference. Listen you all, we need to display godly civility.

The world needs to see the body of Christ exemplifying and showing the fruit of the spirit. When we are in a world that is becoming increasingly contentious, negative, evil, angry, right resentful, mean demonic in a lot of ways. The worst thing that we as believers in Jesus Christ can do is be like them. We need to bring to the table a response to debates, a response to difference, a response to someone who thinks other or is other than me. Not immediate acceptance, but a debate that is full of the spirit of God. A debate and a discourse that is prayerful and mindful that they may not see it the way that I do. I’m gonna share my point. I’m gonna share it as clearly as I can. I’m gonna genuinely listen to them. But then I’m gonna believe God that we can arrive in some kind of a compromise. Can I tell you what that is? Marriage

<Laugh>.

Don’t look at me like that. That’s marriage. Y’all. Marriage is a compromise. It amazes me how different my wife and I are. Isn’t it amazing when they say opposites of track? It is really true. You are so different from your spouse. And what it is is that some of you thought that when I get married, I’m going to change them when I get married they’ll finally come to the light and realize that the way that I see the world and the way that I view things is the way that they should view things and the way they should view the world. And actually, things have gotten worse. They see it much more differently than you have ever seen it. Bottom line, you all, you still stay together. Why? Because you’ve learned to what compromise? My pastor once was talking about his his wife and they lived across the street from a building.

And she says, honey, I think they’re gonna sell that that blue house across the street. He said, there’s no blue house across the street. Yes, there’s a blue house. He he, you mean that that pale something color. He had another color. She said, no, it’s a blue house. Pastor Meeks, my pastor got up, went to the house, got a a his phone and asked the people, what is the color of your house? They said, it’s a pale something aqua. He said, thank you. He went back and played for his wife. The recording, see it is not blue, it’s pale aqua. She said, I hope they have an extra room in that house. <Laugh>.

Now that you have to prove that point, right? The bottom line is that you learn sometime. Listen, if my wife tells me it is snowing outside, I’m like, we need to get a a, a a parka. It could be 500 degrees, but I’m like, honey, let’s just get snow boots. I mean, let’s do it. I’m gonna compromise. So I’m not gonna have problems over things that are not that significant. Compromise is the order of the day in moving forward. And so these apostles are now having a serious problem. They’ve got some people saying that you cannot even be saved and go to heaven unless you engage in a ritualistic act that the Jews did many thousands of years ago. Paul and Barnaba, we don’t agree with it. They arrive at Jerusalem, they hear about this debate, and now they’re getting ready to come and have a discourse about what they don’t agree about.

How novel is that? To have a civil discussion about things we don’t agree about. I’m grateful that the word of God always gives us answers about how we can engage in things. And I think some of you right now might be trying to figure out how will I talk to my son about some things and not run him away? How will I talk to my daughter? How will I talk to my grandkids? How will I talk to a friend of mine who I see going down a really dark path and not come off as judgmental? How do I speak the truth but speak it in such a way that maybe we may have a discussion, but I can do it in a civil way. So the Bible says in verse three, the church sent them on their way. And as they traveled through Venetia and Samaria on their way to Jerusalem, they told how the Gentiles had been converted.

The news made all the believers very glad. Verse four. Now, Paul and Barnabas and the other followers come to Jerusalem, and I love this. They were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders. So even though there was conflict brooding in the background, these apostles to the Gentiles are welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders. Verse five, then some of the believers who belong, watch this now to the party of the Pharisees. Lemme stop right there. So now within the church, we’re finding out that there are parties who would’ve thunk it? <Laugh>. That means, so pastor, are you telling me that in in a local church or in a community, there can be factions, there can be people that I, I am of this group and I’m of that group and I’m of that one and I’m of the other one.

Could that be a possibility? Well, in the text we see that they actually called it, I mean I love this. Now it says that someone stood up who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. So I’m a believer, but I am of the party of the Pharisees and I’m a part of this religious community. But let me tell you how I view being saved and lemme tell you how my view needs to inform how you carry out a sic message to others. They said, we believe this party of the Pharisees, that the Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses. Have you ever read the law of Moses <laugh>? Listen y’all, you wanna get depressed?

Open up Leviticus Deuteronomy and try to do any one of those things for a couple of days and you’ll totally get depressed. As a matter of fact, let’s forget that the 10 Commandments, have you ever read those? You wanna get depressed? Try to keep all of those or just maybe one or two. Listen y’all, why would God give us 10 commandments that he knew we could not keep? He wanted to show us the holiness of his character. This is what I demand for people connected to me. But you cannot do that in and of your own strength. You need me in you to do things that will actually please me, but not the Judaizers. The Jewish people say, listen, we don’t need God at all. We’re just gonna follow the letter of the law. And the Bible tells us that actually the law revealed the sinful nature. The law showed us how far we are from God. But this sect, this party, this faction in the believing community said This is what we say people should do to be saved. Do you know that there are people here at Sure Hills who believe that this behavior is the behavior And anybody that doesn’t do it this way is not really saved.

I’m wearing a tie ’cause I like ties. But do you know that there’s some people that feel like I’m more spiritual Harvey? That’s what I like about him. That Harvey has a depth that is obviously significant because he’s wearing a tie. He respects the House of God. But other people come here with ripped jeans and they look like they’re from the streets to God be the glory for man of God. That will come in with a tie. Because that’s how people should come to church. There are people in here that believe that way. There are people that believe that unless, unless there is a hymn, unless there is a hymn, there is no service. I must have a hymn if there’s all this other loud music. What’s with those drums? <Laugh>. What’s with that Bass guitar. It ain’t nothing but the world, right? Same church. Let, lemme go down another row.

There’s some people, believe it or not, believe it or not, who say, well, you know, I I we don’t mind ethnic diversity, but we want it to not be truly ethnically diverse. We, we mind people coming of different colors, but they still need to have pretty much the same intelligence and the same kind of financial status so that we can, we can be multicultural but not generally multicultural. Because if we bring in like poor people, what will that mean? What would it mean if poor people came and interacted with my kid? What if my daughter wants to date a poor black guy? We’re like, do with that Now y’all laughing. But there are parties that are in every organization in my church, there are parties because we listen because we bring to our salvation all of our stuff. And I came to let you know that your stuff and our stuff is not what got us saved.

We are saved by the grace of God. Well Harvey, what is the grace of God? I’m glad you asked. The grace of God is receiving from God what we do not and could not deserve you. And I deserve hell. We deserve judgment. We deserve to be cut off from God. But God in his loving kindness and his tender mercies has given us a gift like none other, that your in my name could be written in the lamb’s book of life. You and I are saved, not by our goodness, not by our works, but by his grace.

And if indeed we’ve been saved by his grace, should not we show that grace to all of God’s children. That means the person who views politically different than I do <laugh> Harvey, I hear you, but I don’t see how anybody in there, right man, could ever even decide to be in that group of people. Well like half the country could be in that group. And guess what? Some of them are lost and far from God and you want them to join your political ideology before they join Christ. Or you want them to, once they become Christ, say, I’m glad you’re saved. There’s no circumcision room, but there is a room they’re gonna talk to you about your politics. Same circumcision, different label.

What are we putting on people that God has not put on people? I’m not gonna stop being black ’cause I’m around white people. What does that mean, har What do you mean stop being black? That means I’m preach with my black preaching. I’m gonna have my little black nuance ’cause I’m black. And you gonna have your white nuance ’cause you white. Well, Harvey, what is my white nuance? I’ll tell you <laugh> in the black church when we get up there. Alright pastor, you preach it now. Amen. Alright, now Reverend you mm, <laugh> that’s it. That’s all I get. Mm, I mean I can, it could be the most, it could be the most powerful revelation from God. Mm hmm <laugh> because that’s white folks. Hallelujah. That’s white folks. Amen. But to God be the glory, the heaven is not gonna be black people only. It’s not gonna be white people only. It’s not gonna be Republican people. It’s gonna be every tribe and every nation and every kindred worshiping around the throne. So let’s get a sneak preview of coming attractions.

If we can’t learn to civilly sit and worship and genuinely and authentically connect in community in this place and how will it look in heaven? And so in Jesus’ name, I need you to see this text and see what God is maybe speaking to you about a contention that you’re having with somebody. Maybe it’s something deep, maybe it’s not that deep at all, but maybe you’re in the middle of a argument, a debate, a differing opinion, and you’re wondering, how can I bring God’s grace on the scene to respond in the way that God would have me? So the Bible says that these individuals <laugh>, they stood up demanding that these people be circumcised. I love this. It says that the apostles and elders met verse six to consider this question. They said, you know what, let’s have a meeting about it. And I thank God that when the stakes are high, leaders need to get together and prayerfully consider things.

The Bible says in verse seven, after much discussion, Peter, who’s kind of the, the leader of this church in Jerusalem, he gets up and addresses them. Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel. And believe God who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them for he purified their hearts by faith. Many of you remember that, that Peter did not want to preach to the Gentiles. He’s like, that’s not my call. And as a matter of fact, I don’t even know if they should receive it up on a rooftop in a trance. God lets a sheet down with all kinds of food in it. I think I heard a message about that recently here, right? All kind of food on it. All these items, right? And <laugh>, God says, now slay and eat. Now Peter tells God no. How you gonna tell God no, he did three times. No, I’m not gonna do what you said because I’m not gonna meet eat food that is not sanctioned by the Judaic law. So inside this sheet was some rip tips,

<Laugh>,

There are rip tips. That’s a shrimp, you know, all the stuff that, all the stuff that couldn’t have, right? So all the stuff that he says, I need you to eat it. And and finally when he did take it, he says, now this is not about you eating food, but this is now you reaching out to people that you did not think were clean enough to be reached. This is not about food being eaten that’s unclean. This is about people that you deemed as unclean people that you deemed as unworthy. And now Peter, the head of the local church in Jerusalem, really kind of the epicenter of the Christian faith, I need you to, to embrace sharing the gospel with those who are not Jewish. This became such a big deal that he says, you all know what I went through? And he says, you all are aware of this. He says, and not only did I do it, but God did not discriminate between us Jews and them, for he purified their hearts by faith and gave them the same Holy Spirit that he gave to us. You all I’ve met, I’ve been coming to Cherry Hills for a while, and every time I meet people, they almost, some, almost to a person tell me that it’s almost like Taylor Swift and the Eras tour <laugh>,

The era that they became a cherry Hiller. I wish we had like a little, little poster with different pictures on it. Like Taylor has, you know, the different era that you came. So like I was a founder here and during those early days of this church, that was the glory of God was present and I wanted to be just like it was in the founding days. And somebody else came in another era and they’re like, oh, things were really great in that era. Then somebody else came in another era and the people from the other say, oh, you came in that era

<Laugh>,

Listen, people who came by God’s anointing to this church have come by his assignment and it doesn’t matter which era they came. They are your brothers and your sisters. And we are one church and one body in the name of Jesus.

He says, there’s no, there’s no question that those who came to faith have received, sees the same Holy Spirit that we received. There’s no difference. There’s no difference between them and us. And so Peter now is standing up trying to tell these Pharisees that even though you’re trying to put this restriction on them, lemme tell you there’s validity and the fact that these gentiles can be saved and should be saved. Verse 12, the whole church got silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling them about the signs and wonders that God had done among the Gentiles, through them to God be the glory for the signs and the wonders and the life change that’s happened in this place. To God be the glory that no matter what era and what season, God has always been saving souls. No matter what era, no matter what season, God has always been transforming lives.

No matter what era, no matter what season God has been bringing people that are far from God closer to the throne of God, no matter what season or era, there’s always been worship, there’s always been praise, there’s always been evangelism, there’s always been discipleship to God be the glory that no matter what season God has been faithful. And so here’s the question. If God has shown his favor in every season, and if God has shown his favor to every person, then who are we to decide that an era or person is not worthy of that same grace that God has so freely bestowed? I pray in Jesus’ name that we will be carriers of grace.

I pray that you remember how you were before you met Jesus. And before you wonder why, why do you have a piercing there? Before you wonder, well, what’s with all the black makeup or black skin? You know, before you start down that road, remember where you were? Remember how messed up your life was. I don’t know about you, but I remember when I, where I was before Jesus met me, how self-absorbed, self-centered, I was on a trajectory to be a business guy working in a bank just totally as a matter of fact, you remember JR Ewing, he was my role model. True story. I had a bracelet with his name on it, <laugh>.

I said, I wanna be Jr. And more and on a bridge at Northwestern University, Jesus got ahold of me. I didn’t know anything really about what it meant to be saved really. I just knew that I was empty on the inside and I needed something more than what life was offering. And I cried out to a God that I heard about in church getting ready to jump off a bridge and commit suicide, empty, empty. I cried out to this God that I’d heard about. And that night on that bridge, that same Jesus that I’d heard about came personal and saved me. And not only did he save me, but then he called me, called me to preach the gospel. I said, Lord, I don’t know how to preach. I, I’m not that I’m a shy person. I’m not really into standing in front of crowds. He says, oh, but you will.

And I said, but, but, but you know my background. I don’t really know who and how. He said, I’ll order your steps and to God be the glory that some 40 plus years later, and I’m not all that I should be, I’m not all that I could be, but I’m sure not what I used to be. It is because of the glorious grace of Christ. How many of you all have experienced that same grace of Christ? If you’ve experienced the grace of God, would you give God a worship of gratitude for the grace, the grace, the grace, the unmerited favor that he’s shown you? And so it ends in this text where he says they they go on to talk about the things that God had done and the undeniable kind of works and miracles that had been wr.

Then James stands up another leader and says, brothers, listen. Simon has told us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. And the words of the prophets are in agreement with this. So those Bible scholars that wonder, is this true? Remember what the word of God says after this, our return and rebuild David, the, the, the king of Israel, I’ll re rebuild his fallen intent. It’s ruins I’ll rebuild and I’ll restore. Well, how will God restore the tent of David for the rest of mankind may seek the Lord? Even the Gentiles who bear my name says the Lord, who does these things. These things known from long ago. So God says, I will fulfill my covenant to David and my covenant to the Jewish people by expanding the tents to not just be Jewish people but gentiles. And then finally after this conversation and this compromise, there came this collective call verse 19.

It’s my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. He ends by saying, from now on church, let’s not make it difficult for people who are not like us, who are trying to meet God. Let’s not place a yoke on them. Let’s not place something on their necks that we can’t even bear and require it of them to be part of our community and to be part of God’s greater community. He says, let’s not make it difficult for people to know Christ. And so Cherry Hills, I leave you with this. There’s never been a time that the church is more needed. There’s never been a time that the church of Jesus Christ is more relevant than now. The world needs truth. Truth that’s not flailing and all over the place, but truth that is consistent truth.

That is God’s word. They need love that is unparalleled. They need to come into a place where they experience authentic love in a way that they’ve never experienced it anywhere else. They need to have acceptance that is authentic, not acceptance of sin, not acceptance of lifestyle, I’m saying, but acceptance of people and letting God do the work. Can I give you a little clue? You ain’t done with God working on you, so why not let God work on them? And so my prayer is that the grace we’ve received will be grace for all. Let’s pray God in Jesus’ name, we pray now for these your people who’ve gathered those online, those in person to say, God I wanna be more like you. God, I thank you for this amazing community, this amazing church. Thank you for what you’re doing, how you continue to move in this ministry. And thank you that no matter what era the people have joined in, we all are part of the same body. No matter what season we come, we’ve all come to the body for such a time as this. And so now God will we show the world around us a grace, a kindness, a love that can only be found in you and through your people. And it’s in the name of all others that we pray. In Jesus’ name, amen.