Are You Too Concerned About Your Safety?
God Calls All Of His Believers To Faithful Obedience, Will You Trust Him?
Bryan Vander Tuig
Nov 21, 2021 38m
Have you ever heard the saying, “Your safety is our top priority.”? As humans, it is natural to want to protect ourselves from danger. However, we learn from Acts 20 that God calls his believers to faithful obedience, even if it means risk or danger. The question is, will you trust him enough to answer that call? Video recorded at Upland, California.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:00:00] Hey, there. Thanks so much for checking out one of our messages here at Life Bible Fellowship Church. And we know there are two great ways you can connect with us. You can visit our website at LBF.church to learn more about all of our ministries and what we believe. And also, you can subscribe to us on YouTube to make sure that you don't miss one of our future videos.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:00:18] This morning, we're continuing in our series that we've been in for a while, called Strongholds. And this morning, we're going to specifically examine the cultural stronghold that says safety comes first, or maybe another way of saying it is that our physical safety, or the preservation of our life, should be our top priority. So where do we kind of hear that? How does that become a cultural statement? Well, I mean, in the last year and a half, we've heard that phrase a lot, right, safety comes first with a pandemic. We hear it in news reports, we read it in the newspaper, it's on the websites of businesses, it's in signs in restaurant doors, right? It's kind of been the message the last year and a half that your safety comes first.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:01:12] But I think it even goes way back before that, I think in my own life of times where maybe the message was safety is the priority. And one of them is when I was a teenager and had gotten my driver's license, not too long after that, the seatbelt law went into effect, right? I mean, for those of you that drove for years without wearing a seatbelt, that was a foreign experience, right? And even for me, I think I'd only been driving a few years, but that was kind of something to get used to, right. But then from that it went to helmet laws with the motorcycle riders, right? And now, even with bike riders, bicyclists, really, you're supposed to wear a helmet while you ride. And then it was car seats, right? And my wife and I, Kathy and I, we used to kind of joke that our boys, who as young children, they were always on the lower percentile of height and weight, right? So we always kind of giggled that our boys were going to be in their car seats until they were like freshmen in high school, right? All of these things kind of promote this idea that safety is a priority, and safety is important. None of those things that I've mentioned are wrong in and of themselves, they're all very important.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:02:34] But I think what happens over time, is this kind of underlying sentiment begins to take hold in our minds that safety is the priority, and the preservation of our life is the top priority. And that has seeped into the church, that message, in some ways in an unhealthy way, has been adopted by the church. And so instead of the Church of Jesus Christ being a rushing river, or a powerful movement of God and God's power through the gospel to transform lives, in many instances the church has become a stale or stagnant pond filled with comfortable consumers who are afraid to take risks for the glory of God and his kingdom. And so, we're going to confront the assumption this morning that dangerous tasks are to be avoided at all costs. I mean, wouldn't you like to be a part of that rushing river? Wouldn't you like to be a part of that powerful movement of God, rather than a stagnant and stale pond?
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:03:52] So this morning in our text and in our time together, we're going to see this principle over and over again, and this principle is that God will call you to difficult tasks as a follower of Jesus. I believe that's without question, God will call you to difficult tasks, and it may even involve placing your physical safety in jeopardy. Now that's a high calling, right? That's even a little bit nerve-wracking, right, like really, would God call me to that? And so with that, I don't know about you, but I need some kind of a comforting truth to go with that, right? If I'm called to this level of obedience, of faithful obedience, where God's going to call me to difficult tasks as a follower of Jesus, and it might even involve placing my physical safety in jeopardy then I need a truth to be proclaimed. And that truth is this, God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives, and we're going to see that over and over this morning.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:04:54] And I want to invite you to do something with me, I know we don't do this very often as a church here at LBF, but I want you to entertain me this morning with this. When we come to this truth each time, I want to repeat it together, because we need to take this with us, right? If we're going to step into faithful obedience, we need to know that God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives. So let's practice saying this with me, God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives. Very good, you guys are awesome.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:05:26] In this morning's text that Lauren read, we see that Paul is confronted with the fact that his physical safety will be compromised because of his call to declare the Gospel of Jesus, and yet he obeys. Because for Paul, his physical safety was not his top priority. So let's dig into the text, let's see what God's word has to say for us this morning. And so I'm going to begin at verse 22, just the opening kind of phrase, and we're going to spend a few minutes looking at that. Verse 22 says, "And now, compelled by the Spirit..." This is Paul speaking, “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem."
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:06:09] Let's just stop there for a minute and look at that phrase. The literal Greek translation of that phrase is, behold, bound in Spirit, I go to Jerusalem. So the King James version, which many of us grew up with if you're my age, actually has a really good translation of that. The King James version says, Behold, I go bound by the Spirit into Jerusalem. That idea of being bound, or binding, really does refer to a physical binding, or metaphorically, it could refer to a legal obligation. Another way of saying it is that Paul stands under the constraint of the Holy Spirit, he is under the influence and the control of the Holy Spirit.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:07:05] And we see this, not just in this text and Paul's life, but we see it in other places in the Book of Acts as well. In Acts chapter 16 verses 6 and following, we see that when Paul was on his second missionary journey, he and his companions were kept from preaching the gospel in the Roman province of Asia, the Holy Spirit literally kept them from preaching the gospel in the province of Asia for a period of time. And even beyond that, we see that the Holy Spirit kept Paul and his companions from physically entering the province of Bethania. The Holy Spirit has such a constraint, or a control, or an influence, in Paul's life that he literally kept him from physically going to places or doing things. And Paul was under the obligation, as a follower of Jesus, to obey that guiding work of the Holy Spirit in his life. It's as if he didn't have any other choice.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:08:10] And so the Holy Spirit guiding us is a big part of this understanding this text and being obedient, right? So even though it's kind of not the main part of the message this morning, I think we'd have to spend just a few minutes talking about, well, how does the Holy Spirit guide us? There are dramatic examples in Scripture of the Holy Spirit giving direct guidance to individuals, followers of Christ, through a spoken word, right, we see that. The Holy Spirit gives a spoken word, direct guidance, to individuals in the early church. We even see the Holy Spirit moving people from one place to another. Think of Philip, right, the Apostle Philip, and the Ethiopian eunuch, right, in the Book of Acts. We see these dramatic examples of the Holy Spirit doing powerful things.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:09:05] But in the vast majority of cases, the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit is not nearly as dramatic as that. Scripture talks, rather, about a day-to-day guidance by the Holy Spirit, being led by the Spirit, or walking in step with the Spirit. So let me give you a few examples. Matthew chapter 4 verse 1, it says, Jesus, immediately after he was baptized. It says, "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted a by the devil.". Right, that idea of being led by the Spirit. Romans 8 verse 14, "Because those led by the spirit are sons of God." Again, we see that word led. Galatians 5 verse 25, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.". Or another way of saying it is, let us walk in line with the Spirit. And there are a multitude of other examples, but for the sake of time this morning, we're going to keep it to these three. But again, the idea is that the Holy Spirit leads us on a day-to-day basis as we submit to him, as we open ourselves to his guidance in our lives there's this idea that the Holy Spirit desires an act of personal participation in guiding us in our personal lives. And so we have to ask ourselves, how do we come to a place where we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit? How do we come to a place where we experience the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit? And you've heard this before, I don't think there are really any shortcuts, I don't think there are any shortcuts. I'm going to give you three ways.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:10:56] The first one is this, be in the word of God regularly. We've heard that before, right, be in the word of God regularly. Why? Because God speaks through his word. I am a huge believer that the word of God speaks. We literally could have stopped after Lauren read the word this morning and said God spoke, right, because God's word speaks. He uses people like me, and Dan, and others, many, many others, to declare it and to expound on it, but God's word speaks. And he speaks in an assembly like this, but he also speaks one on one as we spend time in his word. So, be in the word of God regularly.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:11:42] Second, be in Christian community, God speaks through his people. If you are not in Christian community, in a smaller group than this group, I would encourage you to find a life group, find a Bible study, find somebody to meet with on a regular basis, because God speaks through his people. When his people listen, and when his people are in communion with him, God will use his people to speak, and so be in Christian community.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:12:11] And then third, be in prayer, Be in prayer, and I would encourage you to allow your prayer time to be as much as a time of listening, as it is of speaking to God, to hear his voice. In the early 2000s, I was a probation officer, I worked in the federal court system as a probation officer. My wife, Kathy and I, we were living in Redlands, and we loved our life. I liked my job, I was in a management position, and my wife was a part-time teacher at Redlands Christian School, but primarily a stay-at-home mom. And we belonged to a really great church in Redlands, we loved our life in Redlands, we had good friends, everything was good about our life. But in the early two-thousands, God began to speak to me, and then to Kathy and I, about a possible change in our lives. About making a change from a job, and a community, and a career, that we loved, and a church and friends that we knew and loved, to something completely different, to going into full-time church staff ministry. And I've got to tell you, as God began to speak to my heart, calling me to what I believed was going to be a difficult task, I really honestly did try to push that away. I really didn't want the change; life was good for us. I had a good salary in my position, I had great benefits, I had lots of holidays off, even Columbus Day, loved it, right? I had a good retirement program that I was already contributing to, and that I could look forward to, right? But God was calling us to something else, and over the next couple of years, and God using other people to speak into our lives, and using his word in our devotional time, God put it on our hearts that we needed to take a step of faith in faithful obedience to him.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:14:25] It was as if, and the reason I tell you this story is because as Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and under the influence of the Spirit, to the point where he didn't feel he had any other choice but to go to Jerusalem. I think Kathy and I would say the same thing, it came to the place where we didn't feel we had any other choice, that God was calling us to this, and our heart's desire was to be obedient. And even though we didn't want to go out of our comfort zone, we knew we had to be faithful to God's leading in our lives, and so we did. In 2005, we resigned from our positions, we moved to another state, and we entered that new life of full-time church staff ministry. And everything I had in the position of a probation officer, good salary, good benefits, and retirement that I did not have in ministry. I did not have a good salary, I did not have any benefits, and I did not have a retirement plan, but God was good, and he was faithful, and he taught us to depend on him in all circumstances. So the Holy Spirit guides us when we walk in step with him, and we live in fellowship with him. And just as God did with Paul, he will call you to difficult tasks if you are committed to following him. But let me give you a couple of warnings about that.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:15:49] Warning number one, there is a difference between faithful obedience and reckless risks. Let me say that again, there is a difference between faithful obedience and reckless risks. Faithful obedience is a response to the leading of the Holy Spirit, it comes through daily walking, daily communion, being an active listener to God through his word, and through other godly people. Reckless risks are generally initiated on our own apart from seeking God's direction. And so we have to walk with God on a daily basis to be able to discern between the two, because God calls us to faithful obedience, not necessarily reckless risks.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:16:42] Warning number two, when preserving our level of comfort, or our physical safety, or our lives is our first priority, we are more likely to disobey the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit. Let me say that again, when preserving our level of comfort, our physical safety, or our lives, if that is our top priority, we are more likely to disobey the Holy Spirit's guidance in our lives. Right, Jesus warned his disciples, and Jesus warns you, and Jesus warns me, and in Luke chapter 14, he talks about counting the cost. He says if you're going to follow me, know what you are stepping into, know that you need to count the cost, it's a life of daily denial, it's a life of sacrifice, it's a life of complete dedication and willing obedience, even if it compromises our comfort and our safety.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:17:41] And so let me ask you a question, I think we have to start here, are you willing to listen? Are you willing to listen to the voice of God, even if he calls you to a difficult task? And then what do you need to change in your life to become an act of listener of the Holy Spirit, so you can respond in faithful obedience? What do you need to change so that you can listen and respond in faithful obedience? You see, Paul's journey to Jerusalem was absolutely necessary, absolutely necessary, even if it meant his physical safety would be compromised because he lived under the guiding power of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to Christ's Spirit was more important to Paul than preserving his own life.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:18:39] And so we come back to this principle that we talked about earlier. God will call you to difficult tasks, and it may involve placing your physical safety in jeopardy. But with that comes the truth, right, let's say it together, God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives. Amen, right?
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:19:03] Ok, let's look at verse 23 then, the uncertainty of Paul's journey. We've said it's a necessary journey because he lived under the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit, now let's talk about the uncertainty of Paul's journey. I'm going to go back to verse 22, and then I'll read verse 23, “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.". Right, Paul was told by the Holy Spirit, you are going to encounter persecution, you're going to encounter imprisonment, it's not going to be easy. But what Paul did not know was whether or not he would be called to give his life as a sacrifice for his commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There was this uncertainty that he was stepping into, and Paul was willing to obey, right, we see that. Paul was absolutely willing to obey, but I have to believe that even for the great Apostle Paul, it could not have been an easy calling for him.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:20:12] We know this because we see in the book of Romans that Paul prayed, Paul recruited the believers in Rome to pray on his behalf, that he would be delivered from the Jews in Jerusalem. Listen to Romans chapter 15 verses 30 to 32, he writes, "I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, 32so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed." Paul wanted to get to Rome someday, right, and he knew that he needed to be delivered from the Jews in Jerusalem for that to happen someday. So he was praying, recruiting the believers to pray on his behalf, that that would happen. But even so, he was willing to obey, even with the uncertainty of what his future held.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:21:14] Uncertainty is a tough place to be, isn't it? It is an unsettling place to be. I think uncertainty about anything in our lives makes everything more challenging because it's unsettling. Uncertainty is like a no man's land, right, it's that place in between what we know from the past and the unknown future, right, it's this in-between place, it's this no man's land. Think about this, for example, as an example, maybe you know someone, or this has been your experience, where you have something going on in your body, or you hear somebody in a health crisis, and they know something's going on, right, and they're going to the doctor, and they're having tests run. And it's that place of uncertainty, right, because they don't have the answers yet, but you'll often hear them say, if I just knew what was going on, I would be better. Because if I know what's going on, then we can put a plan in place to address it, right? But it's that no man's land of the place of uncertainty that makes it the challenging place to be.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:22:25] Andrew and Noreen Brunson were missionaries in Turkey, maybe some of you have heard of them, they were missionaries in Turkey for twenty-three years. They had a church, they held prayer meetings, they regularly declared the name of Jesus in the midst of this primarily Muslim country. And for twenty-three years, they did have some hiccups, and some situations, but for twenty-three years, God protected them, God used them and there was fruit in their ministry. But in 2016, out of the blue, Andrew and Noreen Brunson were arrested and charged with terrorism and other offenses against the country of Turkey. Noreen was released after a couple of days, but Andrew was held, and the charges began to grow. Andrew was not a terrorist; Andrew was a pawn in a greater political game. But for Andrew, as he remained jailed pending the trial against him, the uncertainty of the outcome of this situation caused him to have a great crisis of faith. And I love this story because I think that you and I can relate to this, he's a regular guy, as a matter of fact, after all this happened. Andrew would be the first to say God picked the wrong person, I'm not an Apostle Paul. I wasn't brave, and I wasn't courageous, and I didn't sing hymns and pray out loud in the prisons. As a matter of fact, while Andrew was imprisoned, awaiting the outcome, or waiting for his trial, he experienced deep depression. He experienced anxiety to a level that his body physically shook, and he could not stop it. He was filled with fear, and he questioned God's presence and God's purpose in his life every day. And Andrew wanted God to demonstrate his faithfulness to him by releasing him from this situation and releasing him from prison.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:24:44] But eventually, Andrew came to a place where he determined that God's faithfulness was never in question, what Andrew learned was that God was wondering, Andrew, will you be faithful to me, even if it means remaining in prison for the rest of your life? Well, Andrew came to a place where his faith grew, and he became more steadfast, and the answer became yes, he would be faithful. And let me read this from his book that he wrote afterward, called God's Hostage, this was taken from Page 159. He says, "I had arrived at Bucca." Bucca was a maximum-security prison. "I had arrived at Bucca, a broken man. But now I did something that changed my trajectory, I realized I could not do much to fight for my freedom, but I could fight for my faith. If I did not survive spiritually, I knew I would lose everything. I had spent so many hours pacing the courtyard, or lying on my bunk, accusing God, confused and often angry and offended by him. But now I made a solemn decision and announced it to God, almost in defiance, whatever you do or not do God, I will follow you. This became the basis of my declaration, and I added to it, if you do not speak to me, God, I will follow you. If you do not let me sense your presence, I will follow you. If you do not show your gentleness or kindness, I will follow you. If you allow me to be deceived, I will follow you. If you leave me in prison, I will follow you." In a radio interview I heard from Andrew and Maureen Brunson a few weeks ago, Andrew said this, "Uncertainty tests the heart". Isn't that the truth?
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:26:51] Not knowing the earthly outcome of our uncertain circumstances, and still remaining faithful to God, is the greatest act of trust and obedience. And this is what being a follower of Jesus is about, he calls us to this high calling to follow him no matter the cost. But in following him, let me tell you this, there are some things that we can absolutely take to the bank, right? When we commit our lives to Jesus Christ and we say, yes, Jesus, I receive you as my Lord and Savior and I commit to following you, we can take to the bank our identity in him, right? We know from day one, we are his sons and daughters, right? We are sons and daughters of God, and nothing, nothing will ever change that, we can absolutely take that to the bank. And on this side, we can take to the bank our inheritance, we know that we have a spiritual inheritance in Christ, we know that we have eternal glory awaiting us, we know that we will spend forever with our faithful savior, Jesus Christ, right? But this in-between time can be a challenge as he calls us to follow him, it can be a challenge for you and for me.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:28:05] But let me give you some texts that will help you, maybe right now you're in a place of uncertainty, maybe you're even this morning in such a dark place that you can't even begin to see the other side, then hear God's word for your heart. Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." One of my favorite promises of God throughout all of scripture, it just weaves its way beautifully from Genesis to Revelation and everywhere in between, is this promise of God, I will never leave you nor forsake you. And then I think of Romans 8 verses 38 and 39, this promise that nothing can separate us from God, not imprisonment, not difficult tasks, not health concerns, not family issues, not breakdown in relationships, nothing can separate us from the love of God, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, k neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Paul could have just said nothing, upon nothing, upon nothing, upon nothing, can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. So faithful obedience for Paul, men obeying the Holy Spirit, even when uncertain about what the future holds. And so we see this principle again, God will call you to difficult tasks, I believe that with all my heart, even when the outcome is uncertain. But the truth we can take with us is, let's say together, God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives. Amen.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:30:07] In verse 24, we see the goal, the goal of Paul, the goal of every believer of Jesus Christ, and that is to testify to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Verse 24, Paul says, "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me.". Let that phrase sink in for just a moment, "I consider my life worth nothing to me." It is a statement of utter surrender to God's ultimate plan for Paul's life, even if it meant his imprisonment and death. And we see this, Paul makes it even more clear in the next chapter in Acts 21:13, where Paul says, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Then he says, "If only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:31:10] You see, Paul, in a very similar manner to Jesus, resolutely turned his face to Jerusalem, knowing that going there would include imprisonment, persecution, and possibly death. But Paul was not suffering just for the sake of suffering, rather, it came from this deep commitment that he had to Jesus Christ, this deep commitment to finish the race and complete the task that God had given him. And that commitment to finish the task overcame his legitimate, though secondary task, of protecting his life. You see, the goal, brothers and sisters, for you, for me, for Paul, for all believers, cannot be to preserve our lives at all costs, but the goal has to be faithful to our calling to testify to the Gospel, and God uses every single one of us to do that. That call to testify to the Gospel is not just for pastors on Sunday mornings, it is for teachers, it is for construction workers, and accountants, and doctors, and nurses, and police officers, and counselors, and students, and yes, even lawyers, it is for all followers of Jesus Christ. And if that faithful calling even involves taking us out of our comfort zone, if it involves suffering and imprisonment, then we are called to take on that experience willingly.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:32:52] So again, the principle is this, God will call you to difficult tasks, he will, and it may even involve placing your physical safety in jeopardy. But we can do that, because let's say it together, God can be trusted in all circumstances of our lives. We can be comforted this morning in knowing that our physical safety is a concern of God, he cares about you, and he cares about your physical safety. But the tension in this teaching is that God will call you to difficult tasks, and it may even place your life or your physical safety into jeopardy as well. God did that with his own Son, right, God did that with his own Son. God called Jesus to leave the glories of Heaven, to take on human flesh, the creator taking on the created right, to go, to live, to be born, to live, but ultimately to suffer the worst kind of physical pain and suffering that any human could ever suffer, and ultimately to die. God called Jesus to that, it was decreed by God, it was not an accident, and Jesus responded in faithful obedience. And if God is willing to call his own Son to place his life in physical danger, to fulfill God's greater mission of redemption, how can we say he would not call us to the same level of obedience?
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:34:43] Man, that's challenging, isn't it, that's hard stuff. But let me ask you this, let me challenge you with this, are you willing to listen and obey? If so, what are you willing to risk in order to fulfill the calling that Jesus has given you? What are you willing to risk to fulfill the calling that Jesus has given you? Let's even get more specific, let's identify maybe one risk that the Holy Spirit is calling you to take. Maybe that risk is to tell a neighbor or a friend about Jesus. Maybe that risk is to reconcile with someone, maybe even someone in this own church family. Maybe that risk is to step into the role of being a spiritual leader in your family, or for you students at your school, maybe you're a high school student or a college student or even elementary student, and maybe God is putting it on your heart that you need to step into a role of leadership at your school and be Christ and be a light. Maybe God is calling you to quit your job and become a full-time missionary in the United States or elsewhere. You see, the world needs to see Christians who act on their faith, that's what the world needs to see. They need to see followers of Christ who do more than just talk about their faith but act on it. And we can absolutely step into that because God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:36:26] Let me pray. God, that is a high calling that you have for us. God, that you saved us for a purpose, you saved us by your grace. God, it's not because of anything that we do that brings us into a relationship with you, we recognize that, we acknowledge that, we bless you for that God, that it's by your grace that we're saved. But God, you do call us to follow, you do call us to follow faithfully, and, God, that's a high and challenging calling. And so I pray, God, that you would move us as your people. God, we don't want to be a stagnant and stale pond, God, we want to step into the river of life. God, we want to be a part of the movement of your Holy Spirit who brings your saving grace and your saving power to our families, and to our schools, and to our workplaces, to our neighborhoods, to our cities, God, and beyond. So, God, would you do a work in each of us, and would you do a work corporately here, God, where we would be active listeners, where we would be faithful, obedient servants who say yes, because you are trustworthy, you are good, and you are faithful. And we know that you, as our Good Shepherd, will walk with us no matter what you call us to. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Recorded in Upland, California.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:00:18] This morning, we're continuing in our series that we've been in for a while, called Strongholds. And this morning, we're going to specifically examine the cultural stronghold that says safety comes first, or maybe another way of saying it is that our physical safety, or the preservation of our life, should be our top priority. So where do we kind of hear that? How does that become a cultural statement? Well, I mean, in the last year and a half, we've heard that phrase a lot, right, safety comes first with a pandemic. We hear it in news reports, we read it in the newspaper, it's on the websites of businesses, it's in signs in restaurant doors, right? It's kind of been the message the last year and a half that your safety comes first.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:01:12] But I think it even goes way back before that, I think in my own life of times where maybe the message was safety is the priority. And one of them is when I was a teenager and had gotten my driver's license, not too long after that, the seatbelt law went into effect, right? I mean, for those of you that drove for years without wearing a seatbelt, that was a foreign experience, right? And even for me, I think I'd only been driving a few years, but that was kind of something to get used to, right. But then from that it went to helmet laws with the motorcycle riders, right? And now, even with bike riders, bicyclists, really, you're supposed to wear a helmet while you ride. And then it was car seats, right? And my wife and I, Kathy and I, we used to kind of joke that our boys, who as young children, they were always on the lower percentile of height and weight, right? So we always kind of giggled that our boys were going to be in their car seats until they were like freshmen in high school, right? All of these things kind of promote this idea that safety is a priority, and safety is important. None of those things that I've mentioned are wrong in and of themselves, they're all very important.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:02:34] But I think what happens over time, is this kind of underlying sentiment begins to take hold in our minds that safety is the priority, and the preservation of our life is the top priority. And that has seeped into the church, that message, in some ways in an unhealthy way, has been adopted by the church. And so instead of the Church of Jesus Christ being a rushing river, or a powerful movement of God and God's power through the gospel to transform lives, in many instances the church has become a stale or stagnant pond filled with comfortable consumers who are afraid to take risks for the glory of God and his kingdom. And so, we're going to confront the assumption this morning that dangerous tasks are to be avoided at all costs. I mean, wouldn't you like to be a part of that rushing river? Wouldn't you like to be a part of that powerful movement of God, rather than a stagnant and stale pond?
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:03:52] So this morning in our text and in our time together, we're going to see this principle over and over again, and this principle is that God will call you to difficult tasks as a follower of Jesus. I believe that's without question, God will call you to difficult tasks, and it may even involve placing your physical safety in jeopardy. Now that's a high calling, right? That's even a little bit nerve-wracking, right, like really, would God call me to that? And so with that, I don't know about you, but I need some kind of a comforting truth to go with that, right? If I'm called to this level of obedience, of faithful obedience, where God's going to call me to difficult tasks as a follower of Jesus, and it might even involve placing my physical safety in jeopardy then I need a truth to be proclaimed. And that truth is this, God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives, and we're going to see that over and over this morning.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:04:54] And I want to invite you to do something with me, I know we don't do this very often as a church here at LBF, but I want you to entertain me this morning with this. When we come to this truth each time, I want to repeat it together, because we need to take this with us, right? If we're going to step into faithful obedience, we need to know that God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives. So let's practice saying this with me, God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives. Very good, you guys are awesome.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:05:26] In this morning's text that Lauren read, we see that Paul is confronted with the fact that his physical safety will be compromised because of his call to declare the Gospel of Jesus, and yet he obeys. Because for Paul, his physical safety was not his top priority. So let's dig into the text, let's see what God's word has to say for us this morning. And so I'm going to begin at verse 22, just the opening kind of phrase, and we're going to spend a few minutes looking at that. Verse 22 says, "And now, compelled by the Spirit..." This is Paul speaking, “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem."
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:06:09] Let's just stop there for a minute and look at that phrase. The literal Greek translation of that phrase is, behold, bound in Spirit, I go to Jerusalem. So the King James version, which many of us grew up with if you're my age, actually has a really good translation of that. The King James version says, Behold, I go bound by the Spirit into Jerusalem. That idea of being bound, or binding, really does refer to a physical binding, or metaphorically, it could refer to a legal obligation. Another way of saying it is that Paul stands under the constraint of the Holy Spirit, he is under the influence and the control of the Holy Spirit.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:07:05] And we see this, not just in this text and Paul's life, but we see it in other places in the Book of Acts as well. In Acts chapter 16 verses 6 and following, we see that when Paul was on his second missionary journey, he and his companions were kept from preaching the gospel in the Roman province of Asia, the Holy Spirit literally kept them from preaching the gospel in the province of Asia for a period of time. And even beyond that, we see that the Holy Spirit kept Paul and his companions from physically entering the province of Bethania. The Holy Spirit has such a constraint, or a control, or an influence, in Paul's life that he literally kept him from physically going to places or doing things. And Paul was under the obligation, as a follower of Jesus, to obey that guiding work of the Holy Spirit in his life. It's as if he didn't have any other choice.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:08:10] And so the Holy Spirit guiding us is a big part of this understanding this text and being obedient, right? So even though it's kind of not the main part of the message this morning, I think we'd have to spend just a few minutes talking about, well, how does the Holy Spirit guide us? There are dramatic examples in Scripture of the Holy Spirit giving direct guidance to individuals, followers of Christ, through a spoken word, right, we see that. The Holy Spirit gives a spoken word, direct guidance, to individuals in the early church. We even see the Holy Spirit moving people from one place to another. Think of Philip, right, the Apostle Philip, and the Ethiopian eunuch, right, in the Book of Acts. We see these dramatic examples of the Holy Spirit doing powerful things.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:09:05] But in the vast majority of cases, the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit is not nearly as dramatic as that. Scripture talks, rather, about a day-to-day guidance by the Holy Spirit, being led by the Spirit, or walking in step with the Spirit. So let me give you a few examples. Matthew chapter 4 verse 1, it says, Jesus, immediately after he was baptized. It says, "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted a by the devil.". Right, that idea of being led by the Spirit. Romans 8 verse 14, "Because those led by the spirit are sons of God." Again, we see that word led. Galatians 5 verse 25, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.". Or another way of saying it is, let us walk in line with the Spirit. And there are a multitude of other examples, but for the sake of time this morning, we're going to keep it to these three. But again, the idea is that the Holy Spirit leads us on a day-to-day basis as we submit to him, as we open ourselves to his guidance in our lives there's this idea that the Holy Spirit desires an act of personal participation in guiding us in our personal lives. And so we have to ask ourselves, how do we come to a place where we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit? How do we come to a place where we experience the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit? And you've heard this before, I don't think there are really any shortcuts, I don't think there are any shortcuts. I'm going to give you three ways.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:10:56] The first one is this, be in the word of God regularly. We've heard that before, right, be in the word of God regularly. Why? Because God speaks through his word. I am a huge believer that the word of God speaks. We literally could have stopped after Lauren read the word this morning and said God spoke, right, because God's word speaks. He uses people like me, and Dan, and others, many, many others, to declare it and to expound on it, but God's word speaks. And he speaks in an assembly like this, but he also speaks one on one as we spend time in his word. So, be in the word of God regularly.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:11:42] Second, be in Christian community, God speaks through his people. If you are not in Christian community, in a smaller group than this group, I would encourage you to find a life group, find a Bible study, find somebody to meet with on a regular basis, because God speaks through his people. When his people listen, and when his people are in communion with him, God will use his people to speak, and so be in Christian community.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:12:11] And then third, be in prayer, Be in prayer, and I would encourage you to allow your prayer time to be as much as a time of listening, as it is of speaking to God, to hear his voice. In the early 2000s, I was a probation officer, I worked in the federal court system as a probation officer. My wife, Kathy and I, we were living in Redlands, and we loved our life. I liked my job, I was in a management position, and my wife was a part-time teacher at Redlands Christian School, but primarily a stay-at-home mom. And we belonged to a really great church in Redlands, we loved our life in Redlands, we had good friends, everything was good about our life. But in the early two-thousands, God began to speak to me, and then to Kathy and I, about a possible change in our lives. About making a change from a job, and a community, and a career, that we loved, and a church and friends that we knew and loved, to something completely different, to going into full-time church staff ministry. And I've got to tell you, as God began to speak to my heart, calling me to what I believed was going to be a difficult task, I really honestly did try to push that away. I really didn't want the change; life was good for us. I had a good salary in my position, I had great benefits, I had lots of holidays off, even Columbus Day, loved it, right? I had a good retirement program that I was already contributing to, and that I could look forward to, right? But God was calling us to something else, and over the next couple of years, and God using other people to speak into our lives, and using his word in our devotional time, God put it on our hearts that we needed to take a step of faith in faithful obedience to him.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:14:25] It was as if, and the reason I tell you this story is because as Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and under the influence of the Spirit, to the point where he didn't feel he had any other choice but to go to Jerusalem. I think Kathy and I would say the same thing, it came to the place where we didn't feel we had any other choice, that God was calling us to this, and our heart's desire was to be obedient. And even though we didn't want to go out of our comfort zone, we knew we had to be faithful to God's leading in our lives, and so we did. In 2005, we resigned from our positions, we moved to another state, and we entered that new life of full-time church staff ministry. And everything I had in the position of a probation officer, good salary, good benefits, and retirement that I did not have in ministry. I did not have a good salary, I did not have any benefits, and I did not have a retirement plan, but God was good, and he was faithful, and he taught us to depend on him in all circumstances. So the Holy Spirit guides us when we walk in step with him, and we live in fellowship with him. And just as God did with Paul, he will call you to difficult tasks if you are committed to following him. But let me give you a couple of warnings about that.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:15:49] Warning number one, there is a difference between faithful obedience and reckless risks. Let me say that again, there is a difference between faithful obedience and reckless risks. Faithful obedience is a response to the leading of the Holy Spirit, it comes through daily walking, daily communion, being an active listener to God through his word, and through other godly people. Reckless risks are generally initiated on our own apart from seeking God's direction. And so we have to walk with God on a daily basis to be able to discern between the two, because God calls us to faithful obedience, not necessarily reckless risks.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:16:42] Warning number two, when preserving our level of comfort, or our physical safety, or our lives is our first priority, we are more likely to disobey the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit. Let me say that again, when preserving our level of comfort, our physical safety, or our lives, if that is our top priority, we are more likely to disobey the Holy Spirit's guidance in our lives. Right, Jesus warned his disciples, and Jesus warns you, and Jesus warns me, and in Luke chapter 14, he talks about counting the cost. He says if you're going to follow me, know what you are stepping into, know that you need to count the cost, it's a life of daily denial, it's a life of sacrifice, it's a life of complete dedication and willing obedience, even if it compromises our comfort and our safety.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:17:41] And so let me ask you a question, I think we have to start here, are you willing to listen? Are you willing to listen to the voice of God, even if he calls you to a difficult task? And then what do you need to change in your life to become an act of listener of the Holy Spirit, so you can respond in faithful obedience? What do you need to change so that you can listen and respond in faithful obedience? You see, Paul's journey to Jerusalem was absolutely necessary, absolutely necessary, even if it meant his physical safety would be compromised because he lived under the guiding power of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to Christ's Spirit was more important to Paul than preserving his own life.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:18:39] And so we come back to this principle that we talked about earlier. God will call you to difficult tasks, and it may involve placing your physical safety in jeopardy. But with that comes the truth, right, let's say it together, God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives. Amen, right?
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:19:03] Ok, let's look at verse 23 then, the uncertainty of Paul's journey. We've said it's a necessary journey because he lived under the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit, now let's talk about the uncertainty of Paul's journey. I'm going to go back to verse 22, and then I'll read verse 23, “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.". Right, Paul was told by the Holy Spirit, you are going to encounter persecution, you're going to encounter imprisonment, it's not going to be easy. But what Paul did not know was whether or not he would be called to give his life as a sacrifice for his commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There was this uncertainty that he was stepping into, and Paul was willing to obey, right, we see that. Paul was absolutely willing to obey, but I have to believe that even for the great Apostle Paul, it could not have been an easy calling for him.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:20:12] We know this because we see in the book of Romans that Paul prayed, Paul recruited the believers in Rome to pray on his behalf, that he would be delivered from the Jews in Jerusalem. Listen to Romans chapter 15 verses 30 to 32, he writes, "I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, 32so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed." Paul wanted to get to Rome someday, right, and he knew that he needed to be delivered from the Jews in Jerusalem for that to happen someday. So he was praying, recruiting the believers to pray on his behalf, that that would happen. But even so, he was willing to obey, even with the uncertainty of what his future held.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:21:14] Uncertainty is a tough place to be, isn't it? It is an unsettling place to be. I think uncertainty about anything in our lives makes everything more challenging because it's unsettling. Uncertainty is like a no man's land, right, it's that place in between what we know from the past and the unknown future, right, it's this in-between place, it's this no man's land. Think about this, for example, as an example, maybe you know someone, or this has been your experience, where you have something going on in your body, or you hear somebody in a health crisis, and they know something's going on, right, and they're going to the doctor, and they're having tests run. And it's that place of uncertainty, right, because they don't have the answers yet, but you'll often hear them say, if I just knew what was going on, I would be better. Because if I know what's going on, then we can put a plan in place to address it, right? But it's that no man's land of the place of uncertainty that makes it the challenging place to be.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:22:25] Andrew and Noreen Brunson were missionaries in Turkey, maybe some of you have heard of them, they were missionaries in Turkey for twenty-three years. They had a church, they held prayer meetings, they regularly declared the name of Jesus in the midst of this primarily Muslim country. And for twenty-three years, they did have some hiccups, and some situations, but for twenty-three years, God protected them, God used them and there was fruit in their ministry. But in 2016, out of the blue, Andrew and Noreen Brunson were arrested and charged with terrorism and other offenses against the country of Turkey. Noreen was released after a couple of days, but Andrew was held, and the charges began to grow. Andrew was not a terrorist; Andrew was a pawn in a greater political game. But for Andrew, as he remained jailed pending the trial against him, the uncertainty of the outcome of this situation caused him to have a great crisis of faith. And I love this story because I think that you and I can relate to this, he's a regular guy, as a matter of fact, after all this happened. Andrew would be the first to say God picked the wrong person, I'm not an Apostle Paul. I wasn't brave, and I wasn't courageous, and I didn't sing hymns and pray out loud in the prisons. As a matter of fact, while Andrew was imprisoned, awaiting the outcome, or waiting for his trial, he experienced deep depression. He experienced anxiety to a level that his body physically shook, and he could not stop it. He was filled with fear, and he questioned God's presence and God's purpose in his life every day. And Andrew wanted God to demonstrate his faithfulness to him by releasing him from this situation and releasing him from prison.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:24:44] But eventually, Andrew came to a place where he determined that God's faithfulness was never in question, what Andrew learned was that God was wondering, Andrew, will you be faithful to me, even if it means remaining in prison for the rest of your life? Well, Andrew came to a place where his faith grew, and he became more steadfast, and the answer became yes, he would be faithful. And let me read this from his book that he wrote afterward, called God's Hostage, this was taken from Page 159. He says, "I had arrived at Bucca." Bucca was a maximum-security prison. "I had arrived at Bucca, a broken man. But now I did something that changed my trajectory, I realized I could not do much to fight for my freedom, but I could fight for my faith. If I did not survive spiritually, I knew I would lose everything. I had spent so many hours pacing the courtyard, or lying on my bunk, accusing God, confused and often angry and offended by him. But now I made a solemn decision and announced it to God, almost in defiance, whatever you do or not do God, I will follow you. This became the basis of my declaration, and I added to it, if you do not speak to me, God, I will follow you. If you do not let me sense your presence, I will follow you. If you do not show your gentleness or kindness, I will follow you. If you allow me to be deceived, I will follow you. If you leave me in prison, I will follow you." In a radio interview I heard from Andrew and Maureen Brunson a few weeks ago, Andrew said this, "Uncertainty tests the heart". Isn't that the truth?
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:26:51] Not knowing the earthly outcome of our uncertain circumstances, and still remaining faithful to God, is the greatest act of trust and obedience. And this is what being a follower of Jesus is about, he calls us to this high calling to follow him no matter the cost. But in following him, let me tell you this, there are some things that we can absolutely take to the bank, right? When we commit our lives to Jesus Christ and we say, yes, Jesus, I receive you as my Lord and Savior and I commit to following you, we can take to the bank our identity in him, right? We know from day one, we are his sons and daughters, right? We are sons and daughters of God, and nothing, nothing will ever change that, we can absolutely take that to the bank. And on this side, we can take to the bank our inheritance, we know that we have a spiritual inheritance in Christ, we know that we have eternal glory awaiting us, we know that we will spend forever with our faithful savior, Jesus Christ, right? But this in-between time can be a challenge as he calls us to follow him, it can be a challenge for you and for me.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:28:05] But let me give you some texts that will help you, maybe right now you're in a place of uncertainty, maybe you're even this morning in such a dark place that you can't even begin to see the other side, then hear God's word for your heart. Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." One of my favorite promises of God throughout all of scripture, it just weaves its way beautifully from Genesis to Revelation and everywhere in between, is this promise of God, I will never leave you nor forsake you. And then I think of Romans 8 verses 38 and 39, this promise that nothing can separate us from God, not imprisonment, not difficult tasks, not health concerns, not family issues, not breakdown in relationships, nothing can separate us from the love of God, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, k neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Paul could have just said nothing, upon nothing, upon nothing, upon nothing, can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. So faithful obedience for Paul, men obeying the Holy Spirit, even when uncertain about what the future holds. And so we see this principle again, God will call you to difficult tasks, I believe that with all my heart, even when the outcome is uncertain. But the truth we can take with us is, let's say together, God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives. Amen.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:30:07] In verse 24, we see the goal, the goal of Paul, the goal of every believer of Jesus Christ, and that is to testify to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Verse 24, Paul says, "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me.". Let that phrase sink in for just a moment, "I consider my life worth nothing to me." It is a statement of utter surrender to God's ultimate plan for Paul's life, even if it meant his imprisonment and death. And we see this, Paul makes it even more clear in the next chapter in Acts 21:13, where Paul says, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Then he says, "If only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:31:10] You see, Paul, in a very similar manner to Jesus, resolutely turned his face to Jerusalem, knowing that going there would include imprisonment, persecution, and possibly death. But Paul was not suffering just for the sake of suffering, rather, it came from this deep commitment that he had to Jesus Christ, this deep commitment to finish the race and complete the task that God had given him. And that commitment to finish the task overcame his legitimate, though secondary task, of protecting his life. You see, the goal, brothers and sisters, for you, for me, for Paul, for all believers, cannot be to preserve our lives at all costs, but the goal has to be faithful to our calling to testify to the Gospel, and God uses every single one of us to do that. That call to testify to the Gospel is not just for pastors on Sunday mornings, it is for teachers, it is for construction workers, and accountants, and doctors, and nurses, and police officers, and counselors, and students, and yes, even lawyers, it is for all followers of Jesus Christ. And if that faithful calling even involves taking us out of our comfort zone, if it involves suffering and imprisonment, then we are called to take on that experience willingly.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:32:52] So again, the principle is this, God will call you to difficult tasks, he will, and it may even involve placing your physical safety in jeopardy. But we can do that, because let's say it together, God can be trusted in all circumstances of our lives. We can be comforted this morning in knowing that our physical safety is a concern of God, he cares about you, and he cares about your physical safety. But the tension in this teaching is that God will call you to difficult tasks, and it may even place your life or your physical safety into jeopardy as well. God did that with his own Son, right, God did that with his own Son. God called Jesus to leave the glories of Heaven, to take on human flesh, the creator taking on the created right, to go, to live, to be born, to live, but ultimately to suffer the worst kind of physical pain and suffering that any human could ever suffer, and ultimately to die. God called Jesus to that, it was decreed by God, it was not an accident, and Jesus responded in faithful obedience. And if God is willing to call his own Son to place his life in physical danger, to fulfill God's greater mission of redemption, how can we say he would not call us to the same level of obedience?
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:34:43] Man, that's challenging, isn't it, that's hard stuff. But let me ask you this, let me challenge you with this, are you willing to listen and obey? If so, what are you willing to risk in order to fulfill the calling that Jesus has given you? What are you willing to risk to fulfill the calling that Jesus has given you? Let's even get more specific, let's identify maybe one risk that the Holy Spirit is calling you to take. Maybe that risk is to tell a neighbor or a friend about Jesus. Maybe that risk is to reconcile with someone, maybe even someone in this own church family. Maybe that risk is to step into the role of being a spiritual leader in your family, or for you students at your school, maybe you're a high school student or a college student or even elementary student, and maybe God is putting it on your heart that you need to step into a role of leadership at your school and be Christ and be a light. Maybe God is calling you to quit your job and become a full-time missionary in the United States or elsewhere. You see, the world needs to see Christians who act on their faith, that's what the world needs to see. They need to see followers of Christ who do more than just talk about their faith but act on it. And we can absolutely step into that because God is trustworthy in all circumstances of our lives.
Bryan Vander Tuig: [00:36:26] Let me pray. God, that is a high calling that you have for us. God, that you saved us for a purpose, you saved us by your grace. God, it's not because of anything that we do that brings us into a relationship with you, we recognize that, we acknowledge that, we bless you for that God, that it's by your grace that we're saved. But God, you do call us to follow, you do call us to follow faithfully, and, God, that's a high and challenging calling. And so I pray, God, that you would move us as your people. God, we don't want to be a stagnant and stale pond, God, we want to step into the river of life. God, we want to be a part of the movement of your Holy Spirit who brings your saving grace and your saving power to our families, and to our schools, and to our workplaces, to our neighborhoods, to our cities, God, and beyond. So, God, would you do a work in each of us, and would you do a work corporately here, God, where we would be active listeners, where we would be faithful, obedient servants who say yes, because you are trustworthy, you are good, and you are faithful. And we know that you, as our Good Shepherd, will walk with us no matter what you call us to. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Recorded in Upland, California.
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