4/26/26 10:30 || Acts - The True Treasure

Am I drawn to what is true? Is the bible the source and standard of truth? Am I holding up my experiences up to the bible and knowing this thing is true? I've seen people go and chase awakenings and outpourings and things because things were happening. And when when some, yeah, doctrine and other things and sinful lifestyles get exposed and things, but they're like, but but there were these signs. Okay. But are you drawn to that or are you drawn to what is true? What's the source? What's the standard? [00:41:35] (36 seconds)  #TruthOverSigns

But but the good news is great news because Jesus didn't leave it there. He came and lived a perfect life on this earth that we could never live. He died a death and paid a price we could never pay. And he was raised from the dead, defeating sin and death to offer us forgiveness of sins and salvation. But let me tell you this. He wasn't just offering forgiveness. He's offering himself. He's offering a relationship for you to come and to intimately, personally know the creator of the universe. [00:43:57] (45 seconds)  #KnowJesusPersonally

Second Corinthians seven ten says this, godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. Do we hate our sin or do we just hate the consequences of our sin? Do you hate the sin in your life or do you just hate when you have to pay the piper? When it when it's time that your con that your sin has consequences, is that what you hate, or do we actually hate our sin before a holy God? [01:06:46] (35 seconds)  #RepentantHeart

Simon couldn't even enter a relationship enough to go and pray to God himself. He wanted the reward without the relationship. The question is, do you know him? Do you know him? And then look at what he wanted from the prayer, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me. He didn't want reconciliation with God. He wanted freedom from his consequences. That's all he wanted. That's where we see the fruit of his belief and his response. [01:05:54] (33 seconds)  #RelationshipNotReward

Because it's very sobering to read Matthew seven that there are people who are gonna say the right things, do the right things, maybe get baptized. They look like believers, but Jesus says, I never knew you. Because it's not about all the stuff. It's about a relationship that he's inviting you to. It's more. There's so much. The blessings, they're they're good things, but it's not the same as knowing him. Do we know him? [01:08:39] (37 seconds)  #MoreThanReligion

Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, oh God, you will not despise. But that's not Simon's response. Simon's response is, hey, you pray for me. There's reward that he's seeking, but not relationship because he can't even go to God himself and say, God, forgive me. I repent. No. He tells them, you go pray for me. [01:05:01] (25 seconds)  #BrokenAndContrite

So we'd be so quick to judge the Samaritans and the Sauls and forget that such were some of us. We forget the grace and the mercy that God showed on us. We forget what he saved us out of. And Paul says, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of God. Such were some of you, but man, God washed you. And so we need to be careful with how we judge. [00:46:58] (36 seconds)  #GraceRemembers

So Peter's been on the other end of this. But the response that falls short, not Peter's, Simon's, because Peter's response is this. He submits to Jesus for the washing, saying, wash all of me. I'm really filthy. I'm a terror person. Wash all of me. And then when the rooster crows after his denial, what does he do? It says he wept bitterly. This shows a heart of repentance, brokenness. Do we see this with Simon? Nope. [01:04:20] (31 seconds)  #TrueRepentance