Refiner's Fire | Week 4 | Clayton York

if there's any difference for you and I when it comes to our response through affliction. Affliction is simply pain and suffering. How do you respond when things get hard? Where do you go? Where do you run to when you go through certain circumstances in your life that just seem to take your feet out from underneath you?

And let me just say this, if you've been here the past couple weeks, has this Refiner's Fire series not just been unbelievable? Can we just I'm I'm with it. I love it. And so it's just been cool to learn from Peter, a man that walked with Jesus for years. And so we get to learn from his examples, his responses

to how he lived for Christ. And so this morning, we're gonna be in first Peter, and Peter is talking to a group of people who are going through hard times, through pain, through suffering, through affliction, and telling them that although it's not easy, you have a choice on how to respond.

He's setting it up in such a way to exemplify that hard times refine. See, Peter's speaking to Christian slaves. Other versions say Christian servants. These are all persecuted Christians serving under people they might not necessarily agree

with, and some of them might be there forever. They might spend the rest of their lives there. Some of them might end up in prison. Some of them quite possibly martyred for just the fact that they love the Lord and are advancing the gospel.

But Peter's telling them that their actions, their responses to what they're going through now is what will refine them. It's a literal throat punch where we'll be in scripture this morning, because more than likely, you know just as much as I did it, these people

didn't wanna be where they were. So let me set up the couple verses before where we will be. Peter's saying, be good citizens. Do good. Even though your circumstance right now isn't the best and you would rather be somewhere else, even though you're stuck in the moment, focus your attention on Christ.

Don't forget who has your heart. Don't forget that it's Him who paves the way to where you're going next. Don't get caught up in affliction and run the opposite direction.

And as you and I, as we come to embrace this right here in the real world, right here, right now, what Peter does is he takes this ethereal view and he sets it on the ground for us to walk in. And so

we come to first Peter starting in first Peter two, starting in verse 18. If you got your Bibles, turn to first Peter. If you don't have your Bibles, we'll have it on the screen. If you've got an iPhone, go ahead and pull your iPhones out. If you've got an Android, I don't even care. I don't know what they have on Androids anymore. Try and find the bible app.

I'm just kidding. Anybody have Androids? Cool. About seven of you. That's what I thought. But you you held it up proud. You was like, yep. I got an Android. I'm proud of it. Okay. First Peter two. I just said Andrew. I meant android. I don't even know what they're called anymore. Okay. Let's continue. First Peter two

verse 18 says this, you who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you, not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.

Of course, you get no credit for being patient, even if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

So this weekend, Rock Point family, I wanna talk about this idea of how to endure through pain and suffering, through affliction, but more so your response to it. Because the reality is simply this,

you won't always get a reason as to why you are going through what you're going through, but you will always have a choice on how you respond. But I think far too many of us, you, myself included, I think I think too often we get stuck in pain, we get stuck in suffering, we get stuck in affliction, and because of our circumstance, because of where we're at, we just forget how to respond.

And so the big idea for us is this, how you respond to affliction will show who has your heart. How you respond to affliction will show who has your heart. We're gonna come back to this passage in a little bit, but we're gonna spend some time in the word this morning, going through

a situation, a circumstance in Peter's life that refined him and helped shape him and paved the way for his ministry going forward. We're gonna see a moment in Peter's life where he was facing affliction and had a certain response.

But before we do that, would you pray with me? God, we trust you. Lord, would you do what only you can do in this place? God, you are good. I pray that, Lord, as we continue, that there would be clarity that comes from scripture, God, that that we would understand it in a new light. Lord, thank you for using broken people

like us. Lord, we love you. We praise you. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Y'all are on it. Hey, Matthew fourteen

fourteen. Matthew fourteen twenty two. Here we go. It says, immediately after this. After what? This is after Jesus finishes feeding the 5,000 people. He says, immediately after this. Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home.

After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About 03:00 in the morning,

though nothing good happened at 03:00 in the morning, telling you that. About 03:00 in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. While the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified.

In their fear, they cried out, it's a ghost, because that's what they sounded like at 03:00 in the morning. Okay? Stay with me.

But Jesus spoke to them at once. Don't be afraid. That's the best I have for Jesus. Don't be afraid, he said. Take courage. I am here. Then Peter called to him. Listen. Then Peter called to him. Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you walking on the water.

Disciples I'm gonna pause right there just for a moment. Just for a moment. We're gonna get back to it. The disciples are far off in a boat. 11 of them screamed ghost. Peter screams, Lord. Relationship generates recognition.

Peter was able to to see Jesus, even just based on his figure walking out on the water, because Peter has spent so much time with Jesus. He's like, that's not a ghost. That is indeed Jesus. When you have a relationship with someone, you're able to recognize

them even through the toughest of situations, and that's what Peter is showing us right here. But it continues in verse 29, where Jesus says to Peter this. He says, come on out, Step out of the boat and come on to the water. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.

But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. Save me, Lord, he shouted. We're gonna pause there. Because right here, when Peter took that step out of the boat and now he's in the water, Peter is stuck. Peter is stuck. Turn to the person next to you and say, Peter's stuck. Peter's stuck.

That was super weak. So turn to your second choice that you didn't pick first and tell them, Peter's stuck. Yeah. There you go. You had more yeah. You guys like the person sitting on the other side of you more than the first one. Y'all are wrong. Okay. Peter's stuck.

Peter is stuck. How many of you in this room can say that you like flying on airplanes? Yeah? Okay. That's more than the last couple services. Flying on airplanes is cool, but let me tell you something, it stresses me out. Airports stress me out more than anything else in this entire world. Now, it was cool

when COVID hit and nobody was in the airports, and then you could just fly anywhere you wanted to in the world for $15 a plane ticket. Right? Because you got the whole plane to yourself. You could stand at the Starbucks line and get in within thirty seconds, and you've got your drink, but not anymore. Not anymore. When they decided to open up airports

again to full capacity, it was just insane. And my wife and I traveled a couple weeks ago, and it just reminded me of how stressful airports really are to me. Let me say this, not only do they open up airports to full capacity, airplanes now. They opened the middle seats back up, and that is a no no for you boy. Okay?

Middle seats are the worst in the world. My biggest fear when traveling with my wife is that we'll always get separated, never get to sit by each other. The end of the world is coming. And so,

it's never happened except for a couple weeks ago when we were traveling. The first time everything opened back up and we traveled, we got separated, and I had to sit in the middle seat. And you know, you know everybody here knows the middle seat, that's like you just have to live by what the people on the side of you say. You don't get an armrest, you don't get nothing. If they want your tray table, it's theirs to take. Right? You just sit there just like this the whole time, and you're like, when are we gonna get there? When are we gonna get there? When are we get there? I'm like, I have ADD in general, as you can probably not tell. So I was tapping my feet the whole time. Y'all, we landed, and the woman next to me, when we land, she looks over and she says, man, you just can't stop moving, can you? I was like, thank you, ma'am. Hopefully, I never see you again.

Y'all airports stress me out. And to be honest, it really it really tests how much of the spirit you got. And if you really wanna be tested, fly Spirit. Fly Spirit or Frontier Airlines. That'll test your spirit right there.

I joke. Hopefully, you don't work for Spirit or Frontier, and you're here. If so, I need plane tickets coming up in the next couple weeks. We can talk. As bad as we wanted nonstop flights for that trip, we just couldn't get any. We couldn't get any. And here's the reality of that.

Sometimes you've gotta stop somewhere and make a connection, and it's those connecting flights that are even more difficult. Those hopper planes, oh, they're difficult. Right? Because you get off at an airport and you've got thirty seconds to make it from Gate A 3 To V 44, which isn't even in the airport.

You've gotta go to a tram, hop on the little train. You stand there and it's like doors opening, and then the doors are like, just like that. And it's too hard to even get on, so you're just super stressed out. You're super frustrated. But then but then

as you get off and you're walking to the next terminal, you see it in the distance and it couldn't be better. It's like God has given you something incredible.

You wanna know what it is? Nudge the person next you and say, I wanna know. I wanna know. I'm just trying to see if you guys are gonna start fights in here and it's not happening yet. Okay. Here's what it is. The moving walkway.

Right? You see it and you're like, yes. Something that can get me to where I need to go faster and quicker than everybody else unless someone is standing on the moving walkway. Oh, boy. If you're one of those people that stands on the moving walkway, let's talk afterwards. Alright? Just kidding. It's designed

the moving walkway is designed to get you faster, quicker, better than everybody else to your next destination unless somebody is standing

on a moving walkway. And look, the problem isn't the fact that you're standing. Go ahead and stand anywhere else you want in the entire airport. But when you're standing on a moving walkway, that's when things get frustrated, and that's when that's when I start to kinda lose myself, because I'm trying to go somewhere faster, you're the one holding me up. Listen.

Anytime you have stagnation, anytime you are stuck, anytime you are standing in a place created for movement, you feel stuck. And when you feel stuck, you forget how to respond. And I'm gonna say this, God has given you the opportunity to move, yet some of you are just standing

on a moving walkway. Arms crossed, being like, God, when are you gonna get me from point A to point B? I'm tired of being stuck here. I want you to move. And that's when God's like, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, the thing that you're standing on, the thing that I've given you, is that not good enough for you? Is that not good enough for you? And then there are those people in this room right now that are on the moving walkway. You're going the opposite direction of it, because you don't wanna go where God is taking you. You're stuck, there's affliction, you're going through pain and suffering, and you're saying, God, I would rather go the opposite direction than where you're taking me, because it's too hard where I'm at. I'd rather go backwards.

And this is what Peter is trying to communicate to these persecuted Christians. In first Peter, he's saying, you're stuck, but keep your eyes focused. God's got you. God is with you. You've just got to move. They're like,

but God, do you see where I am? I'm serving underneath these people. I'm I'm at this place that I don't want to be, and I don't wanna move forward. One of my favorite verses in scripture is Jeremiah ten twenty three and twenty four, and it says, I know, oh Lord, that a man's life is not his own. It's not for man to direct his steps.

But how can you allow God to direct your steps if you're not taking one foot and putting it in front of the other? You'd rather stand and be stuck. God is always moving

and wants your life to be a part of the movement. God is always moving and wants your life to be a part of the movement. And if you don't believe me, if you don't believe God is a God of movement, just look at his name. Two thirds of his name is Go. He's like, I'm giving it to you right now. Go. Walk. Scooch.

Yet the problem is with you and I, because we have this tendency to always get stuck when God says go, whether it's by intentional decisions or something we can't prevent. And when that happens, we forget how to respond. It's in our DNA to get stuck. You understand that? It's in our DNA to get stuck.

Sin did it to us, and because sin did it to us, we encounter affliction. I think a lot of times our response to that, I'm good. I'll just stay in it because I'd rather be stuck here than chance anything else around me. Take Genesis three for instance.

Adam and Eve, they had one job. Right? They had one job, yet they reached over and hit the easy button. I'm gonna take the easy way out. They grabbed the fruit that they were told not to eat off of the tree, and they ate it. Stupid human beings. I'll tell you what. They ate the fruit. But what did they do after that? Their response to that was to run and hide. You can't hide from God. I'll tell you that right now. Just like I couldn't hide from my wife underneath the bed, you cannot hide from God. It's just not gonna work out for you. And so Adam and Eve in this moment are

stuck. Adam and Eve are stuck. And here's how I picture this. I picture God.

He's in heaven. He's like he calls this meeting. Right? He calls this meeting. He says, Jesus, come over here. Holy Spirit, come over here. Now look down from heaven. They said, do you see God says, do see what I see? They're like, oh, yeah. I see God.

God says, they're stuck. Adam and Eve, they're stuck. And one of you gotta go down there and help them. You gotta get them unstuck. And so Jesus looks at the spirit and says, hey, man, you know how to move better than everyone else here, so why don't you go get them unstuck?

The spirit, as witty as he is, looks at Jesus and says, nah, man. You're the savior of the world. You go do it. You go get them unstuck. And so from this point forward, let me say this, it's about 70 generations from the point of Adam and Eve to when Jesus is actually born. God gives everyone

God gets everyone through the old testament by his power, but Jesus had to come in order for all of humanity to experience the freedom of getting unstuck and choosing a response. So God's response was sending Jesus. So God sends Jesus in the form of a baby, and he

just pops up into Mary's stomach. Mary's all of a sudden pregnant out of nowhere. She feels something happen. She's like, this isn't right. This is weird.

So she goes to Joseph, and she's like, come here, babe. Something's going on. Feel my stomach. And so Joseph takes his hand and feels Mary's stomach and says, woah, you're right. That's weird. Something's going on here. Imagine that situation just for a moment. Imagine feeling stuck

there. So we're gonna fast forward just a little bit. Thirty years goes by, and John the Baptist is baptizing

someone in water and looks over, and Jesus is 30 years old. He sees Jesus, and he says, oh my gosh. That's him. That's Jesus. That's the man I was telling you guys about. John the Baptist says, I baptize in water, but he baptizes with fire and with the Holy Spirit. Behold,

the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world is here. So what happens from that point? John the Baptist and Jesus meet in the water, and John baptizes Jesus, and then Jesus spends the next three years of his life pouring into 12 guys,

healing the sick, raising the dead, walking on water, and creating opportunities for people to learn from his example as he shows stuck people the correct way to respond during affliction and hard times. And one of those moments, that's when Peter steps out of the boat.

That's when Peter decides to step over the side of the boat, which takes us back to Matthew 14. They've been walking with Jesus for a couple years. While everyone screams ghost, Peter screams, Lord, Peter right now is stuck in between comfort, chaos, and Christ.

He's stuck between the comfort of a boat, the security of a hardwood floor, and Jesus ahead of him. The reality of actually walking and taking a step out onto the waves. A storm is raging. It didn't stop. The storm is still continuing, and Peter's stuck. Yet he screams this out, Lord, save me.

Watch what happens in Matthew fourteen thirty one. This is awesome. I love it when scripture comes to life. I hope this paints a picture. Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him. You have so little faith, Jesus said. Why did you doubt me? Peter sees the Lord, hears his call, and moves.

But as he starts walking on the waves, as the water served to be the moving walkway that God gave him, getting him closer to Jesus himself through the storm, he stops. And that's when he begins to sink. And that's when he gets stuck. Look, I'm a tell you something this morning, and I hope you hear this. The situation

you are in might not seem ideal, and you might question whether or not God is actually creating a way for you to move forward. But hear this, his form of transportation won't always look the way you want it to look. He just wants you to trust him despite your circumstance and start moving. But I'm but I'm

more comfortable here. Peter would have been more comfortable in the boat. That's the comfortable spot. Even during a storm, you wanna be somewhere secure. But he he gets out and starts walking on the waves.

You can't always choose the storm you face, but you can choose your response in the middle of it, and watch what happens next. This is amazing. This is amazing. The first thing Jesus does, reaches out his hand and catches him. Despite Peter's stuckness and near drowning experience,

Jesus reaches out and responds to Peter's cry. Look, Rock Point family. In the moment that Peter was stuck, in the moment that Peter was sinking, he cried out to Jesus.

If you were there, would it not have been made more sense to you to turn back around to 11 guys in a boat and say, could y'all help me out, please? That would make more sense. But Peter didn't do that because he knew that even through a storm, he knew who had his heart. What a learning experience

for Peter. He was able to see how Jesus pulled him up and pushed him forward through one of the scariest moments of his life. So it shouldn't surprise you and I that Peter is able to tell these Christian slaves, these persecuted people,

that despite the affliction they face, to keep their eyes focused ahead because the comfort of Christ, even in a storm, is better than the convenience of a boat. Somebody needs that this morning. The comfort of Christ, even in a storm, is better than any place you'll be.

You just gotta keep moving. He called you out and he won't let you fall. He's provided the walkway, but you have to walk with it. You might feel stuck, but how you respond to affliction will show who has your heart. You're like, but

Clayton, let me understand something. That's one moment in Peter's life that you're trying to tell me that he faced affliction and the Lord saved him. That's just one moment. Okay?

Let's look at a more practical moment in Peter's life where it really comes to light, and this is where we're gonna go deep. So three years goes by. At 33 years old, after walking with the disciples for three whole years, Jesus is arrested, persecuted,

gets to the cross, is crucified, placed in a tomb, yet conquers the grave, raises three days later, and shows up to tell the disciples, these 12 guys, now it's on you. You go make more disciples.

He then ascends up to heaven to rejoin this meeting that we were talking about earlier, and he looks at God and the spirit, and Jesus says, done. Not only did I get Adam and Eve unstuck, but I got all of humanity

unstuck. He looks at the spirit and says, now it's on you. You go help him out. And so what happens from that moment, the spirit

descends. He falls So that you and I would be able to know when the moving walkway is present. But so many people ignore the voice, ignore the conviction, stay stuck.

Talk about feeling stuck as the disciples are in this room after Jesus, the man they walked with for three years, is back up in heaven as he ascends. These disciples are in a room saying, now what? Where do we go? How do we do this? People out there wanna kill us.

Which brings us to Acts two. Here's what happens. They're all in this room. In Acts two verse two says, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm. It filled the house where they were sitting.

Then what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them, and everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit. And guess who was in that room? Peter. Okay. Here come your practical

examples from Peter's life. So Peter, now full of the spirit from Acts chapter two, walks across a couple pages into Acts chapter three, where the first recorded miracle after the birth of the New Testament church takes place. You wanna know what that miracle was? Peter sees a a crippled man, a lame man that's been sitting like this his entire life. Forty years, over forty years, this crippled man has been doing the same thing over and over again. Would you please help me? I need money, gold, silver, anything that you have. Peter comes across this man and he says, look, I don't have what you're asking for, but I do have something better. In the name of Jesus Christ, Nazarene, get up and walk. So this man gets up, walks with them into the presence of God, and from that moment, guess where that got Peter?

Put in prison. But to Peter, he saw the moving walkway that God was giving him, because at that moment, healing the lame man was far greater of importance to him, even knowing he'd be persecuted for it later. So he's in prison, then Peter gets let out of prison. And

if you're in your right mind after being in prison for doing something like that, it's like, all right, I'm never doing that again. No, no, no, not for Peter. Peter goes on to heal more people. He goes on to do many more signs and wonders as it says in Acts. And guess where that gets him? Anybody know? Yeah.

Back in jail, facing affliction again. And this next part, this next part, take a deep breath. Everybody take a deep breath. Don't know why you did that. You just had to listen to what I said. You didn't have to do that, but you did. What happens next is unbelievable. Peter's in prison,

and it says this in Acts 12 verse five. While Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was, say it with me. Asleep. Say it a little bit louder. He was. Sleep. Okay. The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was? Asleep.

Fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Peter was sleeping the night before he was supposed to die. Who? Okay. Who in their right mind sleeps the night before they're supposed to die? I'm 32 years old, and I can't sleep the night before Christmas. Peter is sleeping

the night before he's supposed to die. The rest of the story is quite amazing. I would encourage you to go on and read it, because he miraculously gets out, continues sharing the gospel later on, is crucified upside down on a cross for his love of the Lord and the advancement of the gospel. But here in prison,

Peter is stuck, but he's sleeping, which means he isn't afraid. How you respond to affliction will show who has your heart. Peter had every right to freak out and stay stuck and not move and think his life was over, but he chose to sleep because he realized that never once was his life his own.

It wasn't when he stepped out of the boat, it isn't now. And despite how hard times got for him, he knew who had his heart. So it makes sense that he's able to search for the lost, heal the lame, and sleep in prison. He was used to being stuck. He was used to being stuck in affliction.

So why would he not trust the Lord when affliction continued to meet him? How you respond to affliction will show who has your heart. And now, where does this leave us? After seeing Jesus for three years, having walked with Jesus, stood by Jesus, followed Jesus, having stood at a distance while watching Jesus suffer

the crucifixion, Peter was there through it all. He saw it happen. Having gone on to proclaim that Jesus is who he says he is, after facing affliction himself, prison, release, prison, release.

Peter tells these people in first Peter, we're going full circle right now. He says, look, persecuted Christians, persecuted slaves, persecuted servants, look, I've suffered. I've fallen. I get it. And it's scary and doesn't seem fair, and you could be locked up for doing good. He says this,

I know what it's like to be stuck in prison. I know what it's like to follow the Lord's voice and suffer affliction, but your response, your response matters.

Peter is emphasizing and expressing to them the fact that he's been there. He has every right to tell them where to keep their eyes, because when it was hard for him, when he took a step out onto the waves, began to sink, when he was stuck, he cried out to the Lord and the Lord saved him.

There was a moment in Peter's life that he was on a boat and a storm was raging and Jesus was sleeping through the storm. When they all seemed stuck, Jesus was sleeping through the storm, woke up and said, Be still. So of course Peter's gonna sleep in prison. He saw how Jesus slept through a storm.

Don't stay stuck when God wants you to move. Hear this. Don't stay stuck when God wants you to move. Your response should be to endure, to move forward, to continue on even when it feels better to stand.

But Clayton, you don't understand, man. I've been I'm I'm suffering pain, and and and I'm going through affliction, and my life is not right right now.

Would you look and see what God is providing to move you forward instead of standing still and staying stuck? Because the comfort of Christ is better than better than the convenience of a boat.

Peter tells these persecuted Christians, I get it. I get it. I get it. I've been there. And you're stuck, and you feel stuck right now. But here's why you should endure. He tells them this. First Peter two twenty two, talking about Jesus. He says, he never sinned nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate

when he was insulted, nor threatened revenge when he suffered.

He left his case in the hands of God who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. Peter says, Persecuted people by his wounds, you are healed.

I wanna introduce you to one of my good friends. He's not here, but I got a picture of him. Derek Durell, wearing number 29, standing next to an actual NFL player. He looks like a monster. We call him Hibachi. You need to understand something about Hibachi. His life growing up was terrible. He was a gangbanger, drug dealer,

ran the streets, hung with the wrong crowd, spent the majority of his life in prison. And at one point during his life, he was in prison for seven years straight. While he was there, was convicted, the Holy Spirit fell upon him, accepted the Lord in prison, and changed his life exactly. Changed his life drastically.

That's something to celebrate. When he got out of prison, he was a totally different man. And I'll never forget every Saturday morning, I used to play basketball with him and a crew of guys at our neighborhood basketball court. And he had been out of prison for six years at this point, teaching us, spreading

the message of Jesus, lavishing wisdom upon the young guys like myself saying, look, I've been stuck. I've been in it. And Jesus is key. You don't have to be stuck anymore. And one day in specific, we were playing basketball, and

cars pulled up and lined the entire basketball court. There were streets on all sides of it. And out of nowhere, about 75 undercover cops rushed to the court, tackled Hibachi,

handcuffed him. And I remember them reading him his rights as one of them said, you are being arrested for a crime, for a conviction that we found seven years prior that we forgot to convict you of. You're going back to prison for seven more years.

I saw it happen right in front of me.

Something you gotta know, Hibachi had just gotten married and they were expecting a little baby girl.

Three years goes by with him being in prison. He doesn't get to see his baby grow up. He's missing his wife. His life was drastically changed. And within those three years, an ex gang member that he used to run with showed up at his house while his wife and daughter were alone and murdered his three year old girl.

Talk about affliction. Talk about being stuck in a moment. He didn't get to see her grow up. He didn't get to see her born. And so at that point, Hibachi was able to go to the trial, the court hearing of this man. They let him out of prison to attend. And as he walks in handcuffed, cops surrounding him. Imagine this,

imagine that moment as he walks in and locks eyes with the man that just did this to his family. The pain, the anger that must have been going through his mind and what was built up in his heart. Can you imagine that family? And during the court hearing, he was able to stand up and address the man.

The things I would have said in that moment.

So Habachi looks at this man and says this,

I forgive you.

Walks out of the courtroom, goes back to jail, and finishes his sentence.

When he got let out, I remember meeting up with him. We talk every now and then. I text him back and forth. He's doing great. When he got out, I I went up to him and I said, why? Why would you say that? Why would you look at the man and say, I forgive you? He just he just killed your little girl.

You didn't get to see her grow up. Why would you say, I forgive you? This is his exact response. Because when I was in his shoes, despite my sin, God forgave me. Why would I not forgive him? He said, does it hurt? Was it hard? Absolutely. But I had a choice, and my choice was to respond with forgiveness. Yo, talk about suffering.

Talk about affliction. But Hibachi understood the same thing that Peter understood. That although your circumstance could give you every reason to feel a certain type of way, and it would make more sense to act out and remain stuck in your situation in every circumstance of affliction. Rock Point family,

you have a choice on how to respond, and based on your response, there will be proof on whether you hold your heart or if God does.

But none of it's fair. Clayton, you don't get it. I'm going through stuff in my life right now. I'm facing affliction. It's not fair. Neither was what happened to Jesus.

On the cross, Jesus said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do as they're poking and prodding him. Not only speaking about the people, persecuting him right there, but

thinking of you and I saying, saying, God, would you forgive them because they're gonna be stuck in situations that they won't know how to get out of? Would you just forgive them also? Look, in that moment, Jesus was stuck, literally stuck on a cross. And you wanna know what his response was? His response was you.

His response was to have you. So why? Why through our affliction would your response not be to have him?

There are people in here right now that are stuck, stuck, suffering the loss of someone, going through a divorce, self harm, abuse, addiction, whatever it is, you're stuck.

And you've been stuck for so long that even though God is giving you a walkway right now, sometimes it might feel better just to stand still and not move. But God is saying, would you just go? Would you take one foot and place it in front of the next? Because you don't have to stay stuck anymore.

Last week, Pat gave the opportunity for people in here to accept the Lord. And so why would we not do that this morning? The opportunity is present. He literally tells the persecuted Christians by his wounds, by the wounds of Jesus, you are healed.

I look at my wife right now, and this is coming out of nowhere. We've suffered miscarriages over and over again, but I'm not stuck in it because Jesus is my hope. We move forward even when it would be more comfortable to stand still. Don't stand still in what you're going through. Respond with Jesus.

The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart, then you will be saved. That word will has meaning. It has weight. Doesn't say might, doesn't say could, doesn't say possibly, doesn't say anything but will. That if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, you will be saved.

Some people this morning just need to say, you know what? I'm stuck and I need Jesus. It doesn't it doesn't mean it's gonna get easier. It doesn't mean there will be times in your life where you still feel stuck, but guess what? You've got hope in moving forward, you'll be able to see the walkway when he provides it.

So if that's you right now, with every close your eyes, with every eye closed, with every head bowed. If that's you and you're stuck, would you just pray this with me? Believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth, you can say this to yourself, Jesus, I believe you're the son of God. You died and rose again

so that I can be saved. And if your response was to choose me,

My response is to choose you. Forgive me of my sins. Make me whole. I ask you, Lord, to be savior.

In Jesus' name, amen. Hey, there were some people that just made the first time decision to accept Jesus. Can we celebrate with them right now? That's incredible. Welcome to the family. You're not stuck anymore. You can move and walk.

And get this, as exciting as that is, we're not gonna stop there. There were a bunch of people that at the beginning of this service, there have been a bunch of people all weekend that have taken the next step of obedience and saying, you know what? I'm gonna get baptized.

I'm gonna let everybody know that I'm a believer and I'm unashamed. Romans one sixteen says, I'm unashamed of the gospel. And guess what? If you just made that first time decision

to accept the Lord, or maybe you've been a Christian for a long time and you've just been stuck in one spot saying, God, what's next? Guess what's next? Baptism. It's you saying, you know what? I'm unashamed. I'm gonna let everybody know that I'm a believer, that I love the Lord. So guess what, family? We're doing spontaneous

baptisms after service. If that is you

if that is you and you're like, you know what? I'm doing it. It's a 185 degrees. I'm jumping in a pool. Then go ahead and do it. We've got everything you need out there. We've got shirts for you, shorts for you. We've got money just kidding. We don't have money for you. But with that being said, it's an incredible opportunity for you to take the next step of obedience and saying, God, I'm not I'm not staying stuck here. I want everybody to know that you got me unstuck. So my response is to hop in a baptismal and say, I'm doing it for you for the rest of my life. Look, if that's you, don't wait on that. We've got people out there ready to baptize you. Go hang out. Go watch people get baptized. That concludes this service. We love you guys. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you next week.

Thank you for joining us online today. If you need prayer, connect with us on rockpoint.io under the need to talk tab. Be sure to follow us on social media to stay up to date with what's happening here at Rock Point.