Standing Firm: Witnessing Through Opposition and Transformation

1. "Witness tampering is when a defendant is so worried about the eyewitness account that that defendant will use intimidation or fear to try to influence that person to change their testimony or to not testify at all. Although it is illegal and criminal, that defendant will try to use whatever they can, money, threats to their family, all because they don't want that witness to get on the stand because they know if that witness gets on the stand, the stand and begins to testify about their experience, they know that that testimony could lead to them being convicted. Witness tampering doesn't just happen in our favorite movies. It also happens in real life. Acts chapter 1 reveals that each of us has been called to be a witness. You have been signed in to be a witness. God has called you to be a witness. You are a witness to who God is. You are a witness to the power of God. You are a witness to what God can do. You are a witness that his promises of truth. You are a witness that nothing's too hard for God." [01:42] (82 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "Even when it feels like someone's trying to tamper with your witness, when you share God's Word, they may bind you, but they can't bind His Word. Oh, His Word was working. His Word was moving. His Word was working. His Word was powerful. And right there in that moment, people come to faith in Jesus Christ. Friends, it is a reminder to us that you and I must do everything we can to keep sharing the witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You have no idea how many people around you, in your family, on your job, in this city that need Jesus Christ. Don't worry about what happens to you, because if you witness and you plant the seeds of the gospel, those seeds can grow whether you are there or not." [08:18] (62 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "Where do you get the power to overcome your past? Where do you get the power to overcome your grief and the loss of a loved one? Where do you get the power to overcome a broken heart? Where do you get the power to love your enemies? Where do you get the power to recover from a setback? Where do you get the power to be able to love your enemies? Where do you get the power to hold your head up tall and walk in there no matter what they said about you? Where do you get the power to do what you do? Oh, people are trying to figure out where. Where do you get the power to stay together as a couple through thick and thin? Where do you get the power to raise your kids and your grandkids? Where do you get the power when inflation goes up and you're trying to make ends meet? Where do you get the power? They say, where do you get it?" [11:13] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "Peter filled with the Holy Spirit. Oh, friends, I want you to see it. Look there. It is a reminder that since the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit arrived in that upper room in Acts 2, everything has changed in human history. When the Holy Spirit comes, power comes, boldness comes, courage comes, and anointing comes. Peter is full of the Holy Spirit. And Peter says, if you called us here today because of what we did for that man, I want you to know, and you want to know, how did we do it? And you want to know who authorized it. And you want to know where the power came from. The power came from Jesus Christ, whom you crucified, and whom God raised from the dead." [13:14] (59 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "Salvation is found in no one else. For there is no other name, heaven given to mankind, by which we must be saved. He then makes this bold... He makes this bold statement that Jesus is not just the one that healed that man, but Jesus also is the one that can give all of us salvation. He says salvation is found in no one else. There is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. That's a verse you need to hold on to in this pluralistic world that we live in. Where we... We respect all other religions. And we give them the dignity that they deserve. But as followers of Jesus Christ, let us not get it mixed up. Let us not try to mix in something to make Jesus more than who he needs to be. This text says, there is no other name." [17:22] (68 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "This is not Starbucks where you can add a shot of espresso and a shot of Jesus and a shot of Confucianism and a shot of Buddha. No, all it is, is Jesus and Jesus Christ alone. Jesus Christ yesterday. Today and forevermore, Jesus is enough. Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No man will see the Father except by me. He does not say, I am a way. He says, I am the way. Which means there's no other way to access God but through him. Everybody can have their own belief. But when you follow Jesus, you walk with humility. But you recognize, if Jesus said it, I believe it. I ain't got to have you co-sign or you co-sign or you co-sign. I read my Bible and my Bible says, before Abraham was, I already was. Jesus is the center." [18:32] (81 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "I came by to tell somebody just keep on standing. I know it ain't easy right now but keep on standing. I know you don't have answers right now but keep on standing. I know it don't make sense right now but keep on standing. I know the time it ain't worked out but keep on standing when you go to work keep on standing with your friend keep on standing with your family keep on standing when it makes sense keep on standing because every time you stand you are a witness of what God can do tell your neighbor keep standing keep tell somebody else keep standing tell one more person keep standing tell him I know it don't make sense but keep standing I know you don't have answers but keep standing I know you got sickness in your body but keep standing I know you can't pay the bill yet but keep standing I know you're fueled by yourself but keep standing I know this ain't where you thought you'd be but keep standing you're standing is a witness for what God can do his name today bless his name today I said bless his name today they said bless his name today" [26:57] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "They said, Peter John go sit down somewhere stop talking about Jesus and they get down to that text And they say, listen, we want to stop talking about it, but we've seen too much and we've heard too much. We've seen him break bread and feed 5,000. We've seen him make the lame walk. We've seen him bring Lazarus from the dead. We've seen him heal the man with a withered hand. We've seen him turn water into wine. We've seen him bring the dead back to life. We've seen him break bread and feed 5,000, but it's not just what we've seen, it's what we've heard. We've heard him say, it's impossible with man, but all things are possible with God. We've heard him say, seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you. We've heard him say, I am the door. I am the good shepherd. I am the life. I am the resurrection. We've heard him say, I'm coming back again. If you've heard enough and you've seen enough, why don't you give him praise for what you've seen and for what you've heard." [29:26] (88 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)