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As I shared in the last episode,
2025 was an interesting year.

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That led to very few episodes of
this.

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Podcast and coming into 2026, I
didn’t want to leave y’all with.

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Just silence.
Even more, I felt like God was

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inviting me to share with you
sermons that I gave at my

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church.
Easton Fellowship.

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This. 2nd sermon was.
Titled All the Believers.

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And it was part of our new
sermon.

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Series called Do the Bible.
That series unpacked.

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Passages like Acts 242 through
47 that explored what it looked

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like for the first church to
operate.

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And in it.
There’s a phrase.

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All the believers in this
sermon, I wanted to challenge

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us, challenge myself to deeply
consider the question.

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Who is all to us?
Now, it’s not uncommon for a

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church to say that all are
welcome, but human nature

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frequently makes it difficult.
To truly live this out.

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Causing us to accommodate those
most like us and overlook or

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even neglect.
Those that are different.

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So if we want to be the church,
what does it mean to be a?

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Church for all the believers.
You’re listening to episode 205.

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Of the Where Did You See God
podcast?

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So we are at the start of the do
the Bible.

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Sermon series and we’re going to
be exploring how we can live out

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our.
Call to be the church.

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Using acts. 242 through 40. 7 So
stand as you are able for the

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reading of God’s Word.
They devoted themselves.

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To the apostles.
Teaching and to fellowship, to

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the breaking of bread and to
prayer, everyone was.

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Filled with all.
At the many wonders and signs

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performed by the Apostles.
All the believers were together.

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And had everything in common.
They sold property.

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And possessions to give to
anyone who had need.

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Every day they.
Continued to meet together in

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the temple.
Courts they broke.

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Bread in their homes and ate
together with glad and sincere

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hearts, praising God and
enjoying the favor of all the

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people and the Lord added to
their number.

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Daily those.
Who are being saved?

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Thanks be the God.
You may be seated so over.

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The coming months we’re going to
dive into the practical

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invitations in this passage,
however one short.

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Phrase stood out to me.
All the believers.

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It’s easy to gloss over that.
Phrase, yet that one word all.

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Is.
Vital to our.

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Ability to live.
Out the invitation.

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To be the church.
Before we focus on the

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practical.
Ways to live as the Church.

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It is imperative that we
determine who we consider.

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The church to be by.
Asking ourselves this important

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question.
Who is all to us?

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Take a moment, Let that question
settle in.

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When we think of our spiritual
family, who comes to mind?

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Is there anyone we are
unintentionally or intentionally

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not including in our all?
Do we?

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Shape how we function with an
awareness of all?

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Or does it bend to the
preference of certain

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demographics?
Many churches say all are

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welcome, though human nature
often makes it.

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Difficult to live out
especially.

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Long term, we are inclined to
see and accommodate those most.

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Like us?
And Passover or even neglect.

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Those least like us.
Our best intentions fall short

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when pursuing all makes engaging
church confusing challenging.

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And costly to be the church I
believe.

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We must humbly confront the
limitations we place on our all

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and take.
Steps to ensure all the

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believers are together.
When we do.

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We will.
See the Spirit move in ways we

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could never achieve on our own
this time.

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Is about.
Invitation, not condemnation.

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Opening our eyes to
opportunities rather than

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pointing out flaws.
If we go into the sermon series

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without humbly exploring who all
is to.

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US.
We may do some amazing practical

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things for only some of the
church.

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God is forming beyond these
walls.

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So to that end, we can never
invite the Spirit too much.

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So let’s invite Him again.
Holy Spirit, move in this place

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and in US.
Guide our ears and minds as we

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consider.
Who is all to us?

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And who is not?
And bring wisdom to know how to

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respond if there is anything you
want forefront on our minds.

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We offer this.
Space now to listen.

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It’s easy to lament that we
can’t be more like that.

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First Church.
Who embraced?

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All the.
Believers in powerful.

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Ways.
I mean, they had to figure it

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out, right?
We can’t even get.

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Past that, Acts 2 passage
without.

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Seeing it immediately embodied,
one day Peter and John were

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going up to the temple at the
time of prayer at 3:00 in the

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afternoon.
See, not every other people did

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church in the afternoon.
Now a man who was lame from

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birth was being carried to the
temple.

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Gate called beautiful, where he
was put every day to beg.

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From those going into the
temple.

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Courts when he.
Saw Peter and John about to

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enter.
He asked them for money.

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Peter looked straight.
At him, as did John.

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Then Peter said look at us.
So the man gave them his

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attention, expecting to get
something from them.

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Then Peter said silver or gold I
do not have.

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But what I do have, I give you.
In the name of Jesus Christ of

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Nazareth.
Walk.

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Taking him by the right hand, he
helped him up and instantly the

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man’s feet and ankles became
strong.

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He jumped to his feet and began
to walk.

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Then he went with them into the
temple corpse, walking and

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jumping and praising God.
When all the people saw him

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walking and praising God, they
recognized him as the same man

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who.
Used to sit.

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Begging at the temple gate
called.

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Beautiful.
And they were.

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Filled with.
Wonder and amazement at what had

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happened to him.
This man was.

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So used.
To being seen as only a beggar.

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That he was caught off guard.
When someone actually looked at

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him, instead of being ignored or
insulted, he was treated with

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dignity.
Peter and James saw him as an

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image bearer worthy of love and
did not hesitate to not just

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welcome him into their all, but
immediately incorporate him into

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their daily plans and their
worship.

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He was not a.
Project to fix.

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And move on.
But an important.

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Part of the body.
That just didn’t know it yet.

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Not only was his life impacted
many who had only seen a beggar.

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We’re.
Filled with wonder and amazement

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if.
Only we could be like the first

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Church.
We have this tendency of seeing

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believers like those in acts as
super.

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Christians.
Functioning at a level we could

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never retain.
They’re such great Christ

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followers.
I wish I could live like they

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did, but I.
Can’t.

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Acts 6 reveals.
Something unexpected.

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The Acts church struggled to
live this too.

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In those days when the number of
disciples was increasing, the

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Hellenistic Jews among them
complained against the Hebraic.

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Jews because their widows were.
Being overlooked in the daily

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distribution of food last week
Nathan pressed us into the idea

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of doing the Bible by digging
into James one including verse

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27 religion that.
God our Father accepts as pure

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and faultless as.
This to look after orphans and

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widows somehow.
They let the.

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Hellenistic Widows.
Slip out of their awe.

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An entire demographic.
Of believers was overlooked.

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Now, when it comes to
qualifications for being super

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Christians, they were checking
all.

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The boxes filled.
With the Spirit embodying

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spiritual disciplines, spreading
the good news, by this point

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they had even faced persecution
for the.

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Sake of Christ.
Yet even this thriving church

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was capable of losing sight.
Of who all?

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Included this wasn’t a one off.
In Acts 10 we find Peter praying

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on a roof and dinner was taking
so long he fell into a hunger

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trance where he saw a massive
sheet covered in animals being

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lowered and God saying.
Get up, Peter.

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Kill and eat.
Peter defaulted to denying God’s

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request.
Surely not.

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Lord, Peter replied.
I have never eaten anything

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impure or unclean.
The voice spoke to him a second

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time.
Do not call anything impure that

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God has made clean.
This happened. 3.

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Times and immediately the sheep
was taken back to heaven.

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While Peter was wondering about
the meaning of the vision, the

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men sent by Cornelius found out
where Simon’s house was and

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stopped at the gate.
Now, while Peter assumed this

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was a hunger based vision.
God was.

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Gearing up to confront his
understanding of all.

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Peter’s.
Lifelong boundaries extended

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beyond what he would and would
not eat.

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To who he would.
And would not engage.

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The men mentioned in this
passage were sent by Cornelius.

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Described as devout.
And God fearing, he gave

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generously to those in need and
prayed to God regularly.

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Cornelius sounds like the kind
of guy who would fit in well in

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the church family described in
Acts 2.

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Here’s how Peter responds when
he meets.

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Cornelius.
His relatives.

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And close friends.
You are well aware.

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That it is against our law for.
A Jew to associate with or.

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Visit a Gentile.
But God has shown me that I

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should not call anyone impure
unclean.

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So when I was sent for, I came
without raising any objection.

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May I ask why you have sent for
me?

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Peter would not have visited
them were it not for the Spirit.

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In fact, in verses 19 and 20,
the Spirit had to be blunt to

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get him to move.
The encounter shook not just

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Peter’s understanding of all,
but the entire.

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Acts Church.
As we see in Acts 15, when,

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after much arguing, they gather
a council in Jerusalem and

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finally.
Through the Spirit.

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Tear down the barrier between
Jews and gentiles, while mostly.

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Peter who walked with Jesus.
As part of his inner circle and

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was directly.
Called to feed his sheep.

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Who was given a vision and a
miracle from God to show the

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Gentiles were.
Part of the awe was still.

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Human as noted by a condemnation
from Paul in Galatians 2.

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When Cephas Peter came to
Antioch, I opposed him to.

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His face because he stood.
Condemned for before certain men

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came from James.
He used to eat with the

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Gentiles, but.
When they arrived, he began to

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draw back and separate himself
from the Gentiles.

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Because he was afraid.
Of those who belong to the

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circumcision.
Group the other Jews.

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Joined him in his hypocrisy.
So that by their hypocrisy.

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Even Barnabas.
Was led astray.

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Truly embodying awe.
Is a work of God through us.

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Not simply our best.
Efforts, our best efforts, will

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always.
Be at the mercy of our.

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Fears, desires, biases.
Conditioning experiences and

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everything else that.
Shapes who we.

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Do and do not love.
We all.

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Including the acts.
Church.

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Are an imperfect.
People.

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Called to an impossible.
Task.

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Of forging unity where unity
cannot exist.

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Fortunately, Jesus says in Luke
1827, what is impossible with

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man.
It’s possible with God, Holy

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Spirit Move Church.
Unity is not optional the call.

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To live as all the believers
saturates.

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The entirety of.
Scripture.

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So how do we do the Bible as all
the believers?

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I want to say more than I can in
the remaining time.

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So I’ve got.
Three quick points.

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Paired with prayer focuses and
we’ll close with a resource.

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And I’m confident the Spirit can
do a measurable more with this

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in and through.
You sound good?

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All right, Number one, we must
first humbly acknowledge that

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even the best of us on our best
days can leave someone out of

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our all.
We’ve already stuck a toe in by

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inviting the Spirit to convict
us on who?

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All is to us.
The shift from assuming we.

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Are all.
To considering who?

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We’ve left.
Out of all.

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Is huge.
Without that humble

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introspection, our minds minds.
Will work hard.

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00:13:57,600 –> 00:14:02,680
Behind the scenes to convince us
we’re fine, Jesus faced this

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00:14:02,680 –> 00:14:06,160
constantly as his intentional
actions to really engage with

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00:14:06,160 –> 00:14:08,600
all the sinners and tax.
Collectors.

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00:14:08,600 –> 00:14:10,240
The lepers and those on the
margins.

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Was.
Frequently met with confusion

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00:14:13,680 –> 00:14:18,280
and condemnation, many weren’t
open to considering who was

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00:14:18,280 –> 00:14:20,840
neglected, including the
disciples.

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Who?
Often told inconvenient people

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to leave Jesus alone, so let’s
invite the Spirit.

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Holy Spirit, open our.
Eyes to those we are not seeing.

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Convict us on who?
We are rejecting.

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00:14:55,640 –> 00:15:02,720
#2 We must be willing to not
just see, but engage and pursue

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00:15:03,160 –> 00:15:07,800
those God wants in our all.
Luke 19 tells the story of.

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00:15:07,800 –> 00:15:10,040
Zacchaeus, who had.
Two counts against him being

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short and a tax collector,
though ignored and.

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Avoided by others.
Jesus had eyes.

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To see him up in a tree and not
only spoke to him but asked to

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spend time in his home while
others muttered he is gone to be

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the guest of a Sinner.
Jesus said today salvation.

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Has come to this house because
this man too, is a son of

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Abraham.
We can pray.

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For eyes like Jesus to see the
Zacchaeus’s.

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00:15:37,720 –> 00:15:41,080
But let’s be honest, engagement
and pursuit can be.

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Difficult.
What if?

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Somebody’s.
Beliefs or politics?

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00:15:46,120 –> 00:15:49,320
Seem incompatible and
conversation brings frustration.

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00:15:51,960 –> 00:15:54,880
What if someone is wrong to you
and sitting near them is

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painful?
What if someone is navigating

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00:15:58,720 –> 00:16:01,640
dementia and constantly
interrupts the service?

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00:16:03,080 –> 00:16:05,840
What if somebody is unhoused and
their inability to bathe and do

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laundry makes it hard for.
You to sit close the Christ

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00:16:10,480 –> 00:16:12,920
followers.
Rebuked blind Bartimaeus because

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the shouting of a beggar was
jarring and interrupted Jesus’s

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00:16:16,000 –> 00:16:21,360
important ministry.
Perhaps Jesus knew comfort,

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00:16:21,360 –> 00:16:23,680
control and compatibility
weren’t requirements of his

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ministry.
Let’s.

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Invite the Spirit again.
Perhaps Jesus?

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Knew comfort, control and
compatibility weren’t

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requirements of his ministry.
So, Holy Spirit.

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Point out.
Barriers we have created or

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00:16:44,320 –> 00:16:48,040
allowed.
In this body and reveal how we

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can engage and pursue those
around us.

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And #3 we must be willing to.
Be the church.

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Not be a.
Church.

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Even if it changes everything.
Before Acts 2.

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Thousands of people knew how
life.

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00:17:21,450 –> 00:17:23,170
Worked.
And what it looked like to

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follow God.
Then the Spirit came and

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00:17:26,720 –> 00:17:28,720
strangers became family.
Who shared?

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00:17:28,720 –> 00:17:31,200
Everything in common.
Their day-to-day utterly.

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00:17:31,200 –> 00:17:34,440
Transformed as well as what it
meant to see God and their

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00:17:34,440 –> 00:17:35,920
purpose.
Of their lives.

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Now included a willingness to.
Lose their lives.

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00:17:39,080 –> 00:17:44,360
For the sake of loving God and.
Others really consider what it

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cost.
Those thousands.

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That said, yes.
To being.

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The church.
Many uprooted their families.

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00:17:51,560 –> 00:17:53,160
Gave up their.
Livelihoods and invested

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00:17:53,160 –> 00:17:54,680
themselves into the.
Lives of people.

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00:17:54,880 –> 00:17:56,960
That might be wildly different
from them.

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00:17:59,480 –> 00:18:01,400
The church.
Body we see in Acts 2 is not a

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00:18:01,400 –> 00:18:03,600
program.
But a collective?

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00:18:03,600 –> 00:18:05,440
Covenant to.
Seek first the.

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00:18:05,440 –> 00:18:10,960
Kingdom of God and His
righteousness, we can protect

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00:18:10,960 –> 00:18:13,520
the ways we understand and do.
Church.

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00:18:14,000 –> 00:18:19,280
At the expense of being.
All the believers, are we a.

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00:18:19,280 –> 00:18:21,480
Collection of programs.
Or a collection.

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00:18:21,480 –> 00:18:24,080
Of people.
Do we remove?

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00:18:24,080 –> 00:18:26,840
The disruption for the sake.
Of the service or will we

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00:18:26,840 –> 00:18:29,080
disrupt the service for the sake
of those God loves?

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00:18:31,560 –> 00:18:36,320
Let’s invite the Spirit again.
Holy Spirit, we want to be.

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00:18:36,800 –> 00:18:40,320
The church.
Shine a light on any ways we are

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00:18:40,320 –> 00:18:43,360
misaligned and give wisdom on
how we can be.

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00:18:43,360 –> 00:18:45,520
The body of.
Christ even today.

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00:19:04,280 –> 00:19:07,000
If this feels daunting, that’s
OK.

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00:19:07,760 –> 00:19:09,840
God never promised love and
unity would be.

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00:19:09,840 –> 00:19:12,800
Easy.
To that end, I want to share.

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00:19:12,800 –> 00:19:15,120
A free resource.
I since God invited me to create

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00:19:15,120 –> 00:19:17,480
a few years ago called Stinky
Feet.

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00:19:18,240 –> 00:19:21,800
Loving beyond our senses,
building off the story.

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00:19:21,800 –> 00:19:23,680
Of Jesus washing.
Disgusting feet as a

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00:19:23,680 –> 00:19:26,480
demonstration of love.
It shepherds us through how to

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00:19:26,480 –> 00:19:29,320
authentically love others, no
matter how difficult it may

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00:19:29,320 –> 00:19:31,640
seem.
And sharing this is difficult

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00:19:32,080 –> 00:19:33,520
because I don’t like self
promotion.

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00:19:33,800 –> 00:19:36,600
It was challenging writing the
stories within, and I’m pretty

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00:19:36,600 –> 00:19:39,960
sure it could benefit from a
whole lot more editing, however.

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00:19:41,120 –> 00:19:43,040
It’s an easy way.
To share what I could not in

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00:19:43,040 –> 00:19:45,680
this sermon time.
And who doesn’t like free?

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00:19:48,160 –> 00:19:51,040
So I shared at the start that my
hope was to extend invitation,

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00:19:51,040 –> 00:19:53,880
not condemnation.
To open our eyes to

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00:19:53,880 –> 00:19:56,160
opportunities rather than point
out flaws.

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00:19:57,200 –> 00:19:58,200
Over the last several.
Weeks.

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00:19:58,200 –> 00:20:01,880
There have been so many stories.
I’ve wanted to share here

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00:20:02,600 –> 00:20:04,160
including.
How the Spirit has worked

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00:20:04,320 –> 00:20:07,680
through this body of believers
to pursue all.

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00:20:09,200 –> 00:20:11,280
There are stories from community
Bible study where someone

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00:20:11,280 –> 00:20:15,120
entered saying I don’t usually
feel welcome in church and left

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00:20:15,120 –> 00:20:18,200
feeling seen, heard and loved.
Stories of people.

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00:20:18,200 –> 00:20:20,320
Like Miss Cheta giving up her
time and.

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00:20:20,320 –> 00:20:22,680
Resources to do life with others
who.

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00:20:22,680 –> 00:20:26,760
Feel abandoned like Steven Perks
taking a checker set to a member

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00:20:26,760 –> 00:20:28,920
in a Health Center too far for
most visitors.

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00:20:29,560 –> 00:20:32,840
Like Mike speaking Spanish so
that the 1% of the congregation

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00:20:32,840 –> 00:20:36,440
that needed it was not neglected
like so many of.

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00:20:36,440 –> 00:20:40,520
You who have said?
Here I am, when God said.

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00:20:40,520 –> 00:20:45,760
Go love that person.
Ephesians 320 says now to him

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00:20:45,760 –> 00:20:49,160
who is able to do immeasurably
more than all we ask or imagine,

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00:20:49,440 –> 00:20:52,320
according to his.
Power that is at work.

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00:20:52,320 –> 00:20:56,920
Within US.
His power that is at work.

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00:20:56,960 –> 00:21:00,960
Within US.
The Spirit is already.

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00:21:01,400 –> 00:21:05,200
At work within us, sometimes in
spite of us.

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00:21:07,120 –> 00:21:10,520
Our invitation is to keep on
saying, not just here I am.

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00:21:11,000 –> 00:21:15,640
But here we are so as the.
Worship team returns.

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00:21:17,120 –> 00:21:18,680
Let’s prepare to seek the
Spirit.

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00:21:18,960 –> 00:21:24,240
Once more, I encourage you.
I encourage you to make the

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00:21:24,240 –> 00:21:25,960
most.
Of this space that’s about to

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00:21:25,960 –> 00:21:28,160
follow.
Whether by seeking prayer from

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00:21:28,160 –> 00:21:30,960
folks along the walls, meeting
with God up.

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00:21:30,960 –> 00:21:32,960
Front of these pillows or
praying.

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00:21:32,960 –> 00:21:38,080
With someone near you if the
spirit reveals something, tell

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00:21:38,080 –> 00:21:42,440
someone this sermon isn’t just
for.

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00:21:42,440 –> 00:21:44,920
Today.
In the coming weeks.

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00:21:44,920 –> 00:21:48,400
As we explore how to be the
church, let’s.

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00:21:48,440 –> 00:21:53,320
Ask each time how do?
We do this as all the believers.

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00:21:54,960 –> 00:21:57,640
When the people of.
Acts 2 sought God as all the

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00:21:57,640 –> 00:22:01,640
believers.
They were filled with all.

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00:22:03,080 –> 00:22:05,800
God might be.
About to fill us with all as

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00:22:05,800 –> 00:22:09,120
well.
So, Holy Spirit.

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00:22:09,120 –> 00:22:11,000
We invite you to move in this
body.

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00:22:11,000 –> 00:22:12,920
Of believers called.
Easton Fellowship.

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00:22:14,600 –> 00:22:18,240
We long to do the Bible and be
the church, yet know that on our

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00:22:18,240 –> 00:22:20,600
own we will.
Perpetually fall short.

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00:22:21,640 –> 00:22:23,560
And anything less than all.
The believers.

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00:22:23,920 –> 00:22:28,280
Means that the body is
incomplete right now.

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00:22:28,280 –> 00:22:36,080
We say here I am and here.
We are Holy Spirit speak and

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00:22:36,080 –> 00:22:37,040
Holy Spirit move.