When you live out your faith, the world takes notice. You see, tonight is the Super Bowl, right? We got any Chiefs fans in the room? Yeah, we got any Eagles fans in the room? We got somebody ready for football season to be over in the room. OK. Uh, whatever, wherever stances you find yourself, uh, it's gonna be a big night tonight, but before we, uh, celebrate the game and with friends and family, uh, we wanna celebrate what God's doing, and there's some things that are just bigger than a game. It's interesting actually that just this week, uh, in the media days leading up to the big game we saw players from both sides use their opportunity in their interviews to proclaim the name of Jesus. For example, Jalen Hurts, the quarterback for the Eagles, said this just this week, said, I've always rooted myself in faith and keep Jesus in the center of my life and everything that I do through the highs and lows, Jesus is greater than all of them, and that's something that I can always acknowledge, lean on, and remember, right? Now, before you think God is definitely an Eagles fan, uh, we also have Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback here of the Chief in his interview just right after that said these words. He says, Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He's someone that I look up to every single day to decide what I want to do, what I need to do with my life and how I want to live my life. So Jesus is everything to me. Now for those that know me know that I'm a big Ohio State fan and so, uh, well last year pained me to see Michigan win it all, but I cannot ignore though was that actually there's a spiritual awakening happening, uh, for the Michigan Wolverines in there which they definitely need it, um, so, so I gotta say something, right? I want to be a fan otherwise, no, uh, actually the stories came out last year that over 70 of the Michigan football players got baptized and so you're seeing stories of faith by their coach and their players, or I guess former coach at this point, like seeing all these stories come out. And so, and I'm saying this about a rival team here so again there are some things that are that are just bigger, bigger than sports. And so what was fascinating while we got our revenge as a sports team as a Buckeye this year and we won the national championship, what was really intriguing to me was that they win, the confetti's falling like it's literally still falling on the ground, and the first thing the commentators talk about was actually the faith of both teams. So the quarterbacks on both teams, uh, you, you talk about coaches and things there, and this is not a Christian broadcast. Like this is a worldly broadcast, the most watched football game of the year, the confetti is falling, and yet they cannot help but talk about how these two teams seem different. In fact, recorded it here. So go ahead and check out just part of the interview right after the Ohio State Buckeyes won the championship. Check this out as they, they're talking about it. But it seems that both faith and above and faith in one another is what got Ohio State through. As you talk to them, what do they share, you know, that was something Emeka Bucher and I talked about this when I went to visit with Ryan Day and several of the players before the Tennessee game, a few days before that and You know, I mean, look, we hear a lot of times people talk about their faith and people sort of dismiss it. These guys were sharing their faith and reaching out and baptizing guys on campus, you know, not just football teammates. And it became something powerful to them, not because they thought it was going to be handed to them to win a game, but it developed, it changed their relationships and it Changed selfishness and made it go away. It was impactful for them. It didn't mean they were going to guarantee they were going to win. And Notre Dame had a lot of that going on as well. Marcus talked about that a lot this year, that it made guys selfless, and I think that's the power in it. It's not, you know, some magical thing that's gonna go down and hand you the trophy if you do it. It just helps you maybe relate to your teammates differently. When you go to, yeah, we can clap for that, that's good. There are some things that are bigger than sports. And whatever team you're cheering for tonight or lack thereof, more than just cheering for a team to win the game here at Mission Grove, we want you to win at life. And so for the next 20-30 minutes here, we're gonna dive in and and help you understand how can you win at life. As we jump into week two of our series Brave Faith, we're studying the Book of Acts and seeing how these brave men and women started and launched the movement known as the church, and their model, their example is meant to encourage us on how we can live out our faith today. This morning's message is entitled When Tough Times Come. When tough times come because they will come, not if tough times come, but how do we respond when they do come? Last week in week one we shared from Acts 13 that our distracted world needs a focused church that we live in a day and and era where there are more distractions than ever before and that while our world is distracted, distracted our church needs to be focused and we share that our theme as a church this year is focus and that we're gonna focus on planning the gospel on growing in community and multiplying through service. And so pretty much every Sunday, you're gonna hear me utter the words plant, grow, multiply. Why? Because we need focus and we truly believe if we focus on those three things, it's gonna change your life. Now, if you're taking notes today, I want you to write this down. That with Jesus, you are not untouchable. But you are unstoppable. Let me tell you, I think that's actually better. With Jesus, you are not untouchable, but you are unstoppable. What do I mean by that? I mean that there's this false premise that some people have when they put their faith in God, that once they put their faith in God, nothing bad is gonna happen. There are false teachers on television and and on social media who preach what's called the prosperity gospel, right? If you pray this prayer, if you give me money so I can buy another plane, like you will get this blessed hanky, you know what I'm saying? And like now you would just live happy, healthy, and no issues ever again. The problem with that is that all of us got issues. Anybody got a problem today? OK, if you didn't raise your hand, that's lying, and now you have a problem, so you need to raise your hand. Right? We all have problems, we all have issues. There is not a single person in this room whose entire life wouldn't dramatically change in a moment or with a phone call or a text. And so what do we do with the God that we sing about his goodness? But then we walk with and we struggle with, and we're responding to something bad that's happened to us, or that is happening to us or that we did, or shame or guilt. How do we handle that? What do we do when tough times come? Because they are coming, and for many of you are actually here. Well, with Jesus, you're not untouchable, meaning you can still get sick, you can still get betrayed, you can still lose your job, you can still lose your house. But while this world, this brokenness can still touch you, can still get to you, the reality is with the power of Jesus and and the Holy Spirit living inside of you. That you are not untouchable, but you are unstoppable. I think that's better. Let me spend the next 20 minutes and show you what I mean. You see, hard seasons are not just obstacles to endure, but opportunities to grow. They're not just obstacles to endure. In other words, you don't put your faith in Jesus and then cling on like you're on the edge of a cliff, OK? And hang on until eternity comes. But actually you can grow in the difficulty right now. You see, contrary. To what some might think resistance is the path. Resistance is the path. Sometimes we focus on what's happening to us instead of what God wants to do through us. And God will use the difficult seasons in your life to shape you, to transform you, to work through you into something new and something greater. Your life might not go back to what it was. But the question is, what is God doing now and where does God want to take you? See over and over and over again. We see this pattern in the early church. The gospel is preached. Many believe Many oppose the gospel moves forward. They go to the next town, they preach the word of God, they preach the gospel. Many believe, many oppose. The gospel moves forward. And so it doesn't just simply work around suffering. It doesn't actually work in spite of suffering, but rather, the gospel and the Spirit of God actually works through it. And so if we come to embrace the difficult seasons in our life as an opportunity to grow, you'll be amazed at what God can do because you might, you might struggle thinking, oh man, I really am not. Here untouchable and I get that it's a double negative for the grown people and you're struggling, but. You feel it, don't you? Like, like, shouldn't it, shouldn't it be better, right? Shouldn't it be easier? I believe in God. Should my life be easier? In the most gentle way possible, no. Not at all. See, faith is never easy, but it is simple. What do I mean? I mean that you put your faith in Jesus Christ. You're gonna hear me talk today about the gospel. What is the gospel? The gospel is the fact that God created you in His image. But you sinned against God, and that sin separates you from a perfect God. And there's nothing you can do to get your way back, reconciled to God and go to heaven. Cause when you sin against the perfect holy God that makes you. Sinful and unholy and separated. And so what God does is that while man can't reach up to God, God came down to man. Jesus, his son, came down to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross as payment for your sins and for mine, so that when he rose again on the 3rd day, proving that he is both Lord and Savior, he says, now you can put your faith in me. You can believe in me, and you will not perish but have eternal life. That is the gospel. God loved. God gave, we believe, we live. It is not easy. Why do I say that? Because Jesus died on the cross. He literally gave everything for you and for me. It is not easy. Faith is never easy, but it can be simple on the side of it for you and I to receive him, believe in him. So when you preach the gospel, people are gonna believe. People are gonna oppose and the gospel is gonna keep moving. We see this at the end of Acts chapter 13. It's the first ever missionary journey. They're going from city to city to city. Same thing happens over and over again. People believe, people oppose the gospel moves forward. They're in this city and they preach. So many people get saved, revival breaks out, but then they get opposed and and they start throwing rocks at them at Paul and Barnabas and things and they have to leave the city abruptly and we read what is their response to what happens here in Acts chapter 13 verse 5152 says, but they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and they went to Iconium. And then they say this crazy thing, again, they get forced out for their lives. They're literally on the run for their lives. And in verse 52, it says, and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit, huh? They weren't untouchable, but they were unstoppable. And that's better. Almost lost their lives, and they just go to the next city, and they have joy. Why? Because they've been saved from eternal damnation and to heaven with God and now have things like forgiveness and love and purpose and meaning in their life and it changes everything. That's what empowers them to go to the next place, so they go to the next place, Iconium. Same thing. They start preaching the gospel. Many people get saved. Many people oppose, and now they're forced out of the city. So what's their response? And Acts chapter 7 Acts chapter 14 verse 7 says, and they continued to preach the gospel. People get saved. People oppose the gospel moves forward. Now we don't have time to read all of Acts 13 and 14 today, so I encourage you to read those two chapters together and you're gonna see this rhythm and this pattern come up. But what you see here is this truth, that the gospel demands a response. The gospel demands a response. It is not neutral. It is not Switzerland in this spiritual world war in your heart. Because on one hand, you have to acknowledge that Jesus is God, meaning that you are not. Part of receiving the gospel is admitting that you're a sinner, that you cannot make it on your own, and that you need God. That's called repentance. When you turn from your sins from yourself and to the God who saves you. Jesus and yourself cannot both be God. That's why it's not neutral. Jesus is not simply your homeboy or your friend, like, oh yeah, he's nice. No, Jesus was killed. Do you know why? Because Jesus claimed to be God, and that's not a neutral statement. About 25% of what Jesus said in the recorded Gospels dealt with his own deity. If you had a friend who 25% of what they said was connected to their own claim to be God, you couldn't just let that slide, could you? Like, hey, Tony, how's it going? Cool. Yeah, you wanna go, go to Chipotle? Yeah, hey, I'm God. Um, and, uh, yeah, so I'll pick you up at 6. You're like, cool, I'll see you soon. You're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait, what? What's that? What was that third statement like you're, no, no, no, no, no, you're not gone. Jesus wasn't just a nice person. Jesus wasn't just an uh an excellent teacher. He was Lord, he was savior. He was God. That's why the gospel is not neutral. You either think that you are God, that you are in control of your own destiny, and you don't need him, or you recognize the brokenness of your own life and of this world and say, I only have you, Jesus. That's why anytime you share the gospel, expect both redemption and rejection. Every time the gospel is preached, Right, people believe it, people oppose it, the gospel moves forward. They rejected Jesus, they might reject you, right? They rejected Paul, as you're about to see, they're gonna reject you. But when you share, people get saved, and it changes them, it changes you and God's glorified. So what happens next? So they move on. They go to this town um called Listra. And in the town, Paul comes across this lame man who couldn't use his feet from birth. He says, Your faith has made you well. He heals this man, a miracle. So many people get saved, it's going wild. But then people go to the other side and be like, Wow, who has this power? It must be, he must be a god. So they literally think Paul and Barnabas are reincarnations of Zeus and Hermes, to like gods from Greek mythology. And so they start bringing like animals and stuff to sacrifice to them. Like, so they start saying like they are gods, they can do no wrong and they start, I just almost picture like them lifting up on a chair kind of thing and just like bringing them stuff and bringing them all like, here's keys to the city, here, take, take our, uh, take everything we have. You are gods, we're gonna pray to you now. Like, that gets crazy, right? Now, they're gonna correct him, but if you're being honest, if you were in that position, would you like wait to correct him a little bit? Like, can you imagine someone like actually saying you are God, have anything you want? That's kind of wild, right? And people are praising them and people are saying, wow, they can do no wrong. That the ultimate celebrity, the ultimate actor, actress, athlete, politician, right? We do this today, don't we? We idolize people until they cross whatever line we think morally is responsible and then once they cross that line now then we go from idolizing someone to demons, demonizing someone don't we? That's why it's called cancel culture. Right, we lift up the politician, the musician, the athlete, we lift them up like, wow, this is the best society has to offer. And then we turn on them pretty quickly. And so in this moment, receiving the ultimate praise, they literally think they are Greek gods. And how does Paul and Barnabas respond? In verse 1415, he says, but when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it. They tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like nature with you, and we bring you good news that you should turn from these vain things. This is repentance, to turn from these simple ways of men, to turn from selfish sinful desires, to turn from these vain things to a living God. Who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. Saying we are not gods. We did not heal this man, God healed this man. And so let me ask you, when you receive praise, are you quick to elevate yourself like I am pretty good? Are you quick to deflect anything good that comes from you to the God who made you? Are you quick to deflect credit? Because if you live by people's praise, you will die by people's rejection. Let me say that again, if you live by people's praise, you will die by people's rejection. And Paul and Barnabas, as soon as they receive that personal praise, they turned it back and God said, no, no, no, I didn't heal you. It's not me. That's not why I'm here. I am just like you. It is God who saves. It is God who loves. It is God who changes everything. Turn from your sinful ways to the God who made you. OK, you think we're good, right? Oh, does it turn quickly. Cause we go from being lifted up as Greek gods. To one of the craziest verses I think is in this book of Acts. Verse 19 that reads this, but Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, OK, from the two places they got ran out of. Having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. Oh, that, that turned quickly. One moment he's a Greek god who gives giving keys to the city and the next he gets taken out of the city stone and left for dead. Supposing that he was dead, how, how bad of a stoning do you think if they think he's actually dead? I mean, That's bad either. Either he actually did die, God brings him back, that could be, or gets knocked out and beaten up so bad and this is so limp and not moving at all, that is that he has to be dead. Just, just picture with me for just a moment. Paul, He is preaching the gospel. He is developing leaders. He is healing people to the point that people are calling him a God. He's like, no, no, no, I'm not a God. He is God. Next thing you know, the crowds turn and start stoning him. And that and leave him out of the city, dragged left for dead. Just picture for a moment. The moment that he wakes up. Right? Cause he's not dead, OK. Imagine he's laying there outside the city and he's on the ground unconscious, OK? He's there. When he finally comes to. And it's just hurting every which way. Imagine him asking, just thinking, God, where am I? Am I dead? Is this heaven? No, it's definitely not heaven. God, if you You killed Steven. Oh really, I killed Steven. I saw him stoned to death. I saw his life taken and in those final moments. He had a vision of heaven. Why didn't I get a vision, God? Why am I still here? Where even am I? And I just picture in this moment when he's isolated. And when he's out, This this small still voice. Of God that simply says, Get up. I'm not done with you yet. You might not be Paul, but some of you can relate to that moment. Of feeling so low, so broken, so lost. That you literally thought your life was over. But you come to that moment. Of regained consciousness. When God has this little whisper. I'm not done with you yet. If you're not dead, God's not done. Your story is being written. He's telling somebody in this room, he's telling somebody watching right now. You might feel like it's over. You might hurt all over. You might have no idea where how God's gonna move and where he's gonna go to. But I'm not done. To get up. So what happens? When Paul gets to the moment of almost losing his life. What we see here is that God not only saves you. But also, he strengthens your soul. Jesus saves your life, yes, for all of eternity. But also right now in the valley, in the battle, in the struggle, right now, God, in the gospel, the power that defeated death can strengthen your soul. How do I know that? Don't take my word for it. Take pulse. Let's read what happened verse 20 the very next verse. But when the disciples gathered about him, you gotta think that they gathered thinking he was dead. Right. When they gathered about him, he rose up and what does he do? He rose up and he entered the city. I'm getting back to work. And on the next day, he went with Barnabas to Derby. In verse 21, when they preached the gospel to that city and had many and made many disciples, they returned to Listra and Iconium and to Antioch. He went back to the same place that stoned him. How is that possible? It's possible because with Jesus, you are unstoppable. And if you're not dead, God's not done, and he is still working in your life. And so yes, he's gonna save your life, but also he's gonna strengthen your soul. So he goes back to these cities, what are you doing what? Strengthening the souls of the disciples. Encouraging them to continue in their faith and saying that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church and with prayer and fasting, they committed to them in the Lord in whom they had believed. Some of you are in a battle right now, some of you are struggling right now. And I just want to encourage you with these words. Get back up Don't stop. You might not be able to go back to where it was. You might be in a place where I wasn't expecting the divorce. I wasn't expecting that diagnosis. I didn't intentionally fall into addiction. I didn't think I'd lose my house. I didn't think I'd lose a loved one. I didn't think this could happen. I don't know how I got here, but here's the reality, you are still here. And God has a plan for your life. And how you respond and how you stand and how you fight it might not be able to go back to what was, but you can change who you are and it changes you and as it changes you it can change the people around you and you can be the example for your kids and for your friends and for your family, for your coworkers, and that everything they thought against you actually God flips and works for your good to not only change your life, but everyone else's life. Why? Because resistance is the path. It is your story. And that the gospel doesn't just save you, it sustains you to fight another day. And when you are strengthened in your soul, with the fact that God conquered death itself, that you have the power to stand for another day. You have the power to forgive when no one else will forgive. You have the power to love when no one else would love. You have the power to go after the dreams and desires that God's placed in your heart that could change your life and your family's legacy for generations to come. Why? Because the power of the gospel is still true today. Amen. So they're they're making disciples, they're developing others, they're handing off the church see it's not about them it never was about them. They install leaders and they go back to Antioch, where it all started. The church had sent them out. Now I don't know about you. But like I, if I go back, I'm like, yo, I almost died like 17 times. Right. Like if I, if I stub my toe, I tell 20 people about it. Do you know what I'm saying? Anyone like that way, like, like if something happens, you're like, oh my goodness, oh, you'll never believe this today. Right, that's 90% of marriage is just debriefing about your day, right? Isn't it? Or a friend, or like, oh, you'll never believe so and so. Oh, but I want you to notice Paul's perspective when he comes back to the church after being stoned to literally almost death. And he comes back and here's what he reports in verse 27. And when they arrived and gathered the church together. He declared all that God had done. And how he opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Barely alive, he comes back, gathers, everybody got, let me tell you how good God is. And how God opened the door. If you got young kiddos that you've suffered through 1000 repetitions of the movie Frozen, right? And there's one of the songs you've heard the song Love Is an Open Door, we heard it so much my wife and I could pretty much reenact the whole song back and forth, and it's true love is an open door. But did you know struggle is an open door? Strife Tribulation is an open door. Battles, valleys, loss is an open door. See, when you walk through it, God changes you. When you walk through that and you see that opportunity, it's gonna open the door to share your faith with people like you've never had before. Because people will connect to the vulnerability, the reality, the struggle, and they will identify with you. And you'll see that if you're not done, they're not done. And if God can work through your situation, God can work through their situation. And what we see in Christianity is that with Jesus, you are not untouchable. Things can and will happen, but. With Jesus, you are unstoppable. Let me tell you friends, that is so much better. That instead of being overwhelmed, you can overcome. Instead of being stuck in darkness you can preach light instead of being hopeless you have a living hope instead of being stuck in the chaos, you have this peace that goes beyond understanding and the strength that goes beyond description. Why? Because the power that defeated death now lives inside of you and changes you. With Jesus, you might not be untouchable. You might have some scars to tell your story. But with Jesus, let me tell you, I promise you, you are unstoppable. Can change your life And change the lives of people around you. Let me ask you three questions in closing. Number 1. Have you received or rejected Jesus in your life? The gospel is not neutral. Look, either Jesus is God or he's not. He's not just a nice teacher. He is Lord and Savior. Is he Lord and Savior in your life? If he's not Lord and savior of everything in your life, is he lord and savior of of anything in your life? Is Jesus God or are you God? Is Jesus in control or are you in control? Are you willing to repent, to turn from your sinful ways and receive him? Give you a chance to do that in just a moment. For those that believe in Jesus, let me ask you this question. Do you need strength for a battle you're facing? Do you need strength for something that you're in right now? Some of you related to being on the ground, and I wanna tell you that God is still moving and God is still working and the same gospel that saves your life can strengthen your soul. Allow God to strengthen you today. The last question here. I if you really believe this gospel, will you share your faith with others? If Paul was willing to get to the brink of losing his life, to stand right back up, to go right back into that city and preach the same gospel, why? Because it changes eternity. If he's willing to do that, are you willing to share it? With your family, with your friend. With your coworker, with your neighbor. I'm telling you if you do that. Eternity has changed. Angels rejoice. And we'll see heaven more full because of the faithful people here at Mission Grove and beyond amen. With heads bowed, eyes closed. I just, we don't do this every Sunday, but I'm gonna do it today. And I want to ask you directly, no one looking around. But if you're sitting there and you're hearing the gospel for the first time, Jesus died on the cross for your sins for mine and rose again and, and you want to put your faith in him as Lord and Savior. If that's you today, and you want to receive him, would you raise your hand so I can pray for you? If you want to receive Jesus, amen. If you want to receive Jesus, raise your hand. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you, you can put your hands down. I invite you to pray with me right now. It's not magic in the words, but it's in the God that we pray to. Let's pray. Dear heavenly Father, I know that I'm a sinner. I can't make it to heaven on my own. You gotta believe in your Son Jesus, that he is God and he's savior. But when he died on the cross, he died as payment for my sins. And because he rose again, I can have forgiveness and eternal life. Jesus, I put my faith in you. I believe in you. I commit my life to you. Thank you for saving me. And God, for those in this room. You already claim US. As Lord and Savior, I pray that we can be strengthened in our souls for whatever battles we're facing, and may we be encouraged to go and share this good news with the world around us. Thank you God. Thank you for the ability to celebrate those going public with their faith today. And expressing their salvation through baptism, we love you and your sons, and we pray amen.