Opening the Door to Miracles.

I kind of have one more brief announcement I wanted to share with everyone really quick. So if you've been here for a while some of this you know if you are newer to the New Culture community I just kind of want to share some really fun exciting things with you.

One of the things our church does is every single month, as Jackie talked about, the tithes and offerings and giving, we set a portion of that aside to give to global missions and local ministries we partner with, local nonprofits. Some of the missionaries in Ireland and church planters and missionaries in Thailand couldn't be here this morning but they're coming in town to hang out with some of us going to Thailand in January. They're actually in town now. Our missionaries in Thailand and friends at Neighborhood House, which is over on Mill Street off of Regent, if you're familiar with the downtown area. We've partnered with them for the past few years.

We do several things with them. One is called Laundry Love where once a month people from our church put quarters in machines for people to do laundry. Another is the Madison Good Neighbor Gathering with a team of local people from neighborhood associations in downtown neighborhoods, which is so special. Last night I actually got to go to one of the women on our team who turned 70 and she's been in the neighborhood for years. It was so fun to be out with the neighbors and everyone's like, this is the pastor from New Culture, and to kind of just get to know the people.

So we have amazing partnerships with them. Two weeks ago I went over there and was asking about their backpack drive. Last year we went and helped sort backpack supplies. I was like hey when are we doing that? When can we come organize stuff? They said we don't know we can because we lost our partner that donated all the backpacks. I was very quickly able to say let me talk to the team and we said yes we have money to purchase backpacks and things like that.

We're going to start collecting additional items. Our hope is to have backpacks for 200 kids with all the supplies they need based on their school list. That feels like a lot but with a lot of people coming together it can happen. I wanted to share that because if you ever are looking to give to that, it's on our giving website at newculturechurch.com slash give. There are QR codes there or you just scroll down and it says missions and you can give to that fund.

We're also taking a team to Thailand in January. There's going to be 12 of us going to partner with church planters and pastors there. We're going to youth prisons and doing ministry, working with church plants and serving there. We have people fundraising and if you feel led to give to that, we have some that are looking to come up with more funds. You can click on individual names of people and if there's someone you've been praying for you can give to them or just give to the general Thailand trip.

I just want to invite you guys to continue to come together. It's amazing to be able to answer those calls and say yes. I'll also be asking people to come serve with the backpacks too so get ready. You're not completely off the hook yet. There will be more but let us pray today as we get ready to read God's word.

Heavenly Father I thank you so much for this day. I thank you for the gift of coming together in community, for worshiping you, for centering our eyes, our gaze, our attention on you. I pray for these next few moments as we read this text and engage with your word. Would your Holy Spirit speak to us? Would you meet us? Would you open our eyes to see you in new ways, to hear your voice and respond to it? It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Forgotten but significant

Who here today grew up playing a sport when you were little or were in something? For me one of the first sports I ever played was soccer. I loved playing soccer.

One of the most memorable games of my life was when I was about 11 or 12, right around the age where some kids had growth spurts and some of us didn't. It wasn't fair anymore. I'm playing with someone who should be playing with the adults. You're twice the size of me and I'm still out there trying to kick the ball. This was not a normal thing for me. If you know me I'm not quite the most athletic person in the world.

This was not a normal thing. I didn't just score one goal in this game. I scored two goals and we won. I was the star of the game. I did it. I scored the goals.

But one of my best friends who was also on the team looked exactly like me. Everyone thought it was her that scored. Not only did she take the credit for scoring my goals, she got dollars from her uncle for scoring the goals. I got none of the credit. Everyone's cheering her on and I'm like what in the world?

But it was in that moment at 11 or 12 years old, honestly I didn't really care because I was just so excited. I knew what I did and that was amazing. I knew we won and that felt amazing. I didn't really care about the credit. But something starts to happen to us as we get older where all of a sudden we find ourselves in places where we're aware of unfairness. I didn't get the credit for that. We start to struggle more and more with not getting the credit, not getting the recognition, not getting the honor we think sometimes we deserve for what we do.

And often what keeps us in those places is when we forget that we are a part of a bigger story that is happening. Today we're going to read in Acts chapter 12. This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible because we're going to talk about a lot of different people here but we're going to focus on one young girl. She was about 11 or 12 years old. The role she played in God's greater story, that if we're not careful we can easily miss. This is one of the only times she's mentioned in Scripture. She's barely acknowledged. But the part she played was not small even though her recognition for it was.

If you have your Bibles today you can open it to Acts chapter 12. We're going to read through the whole thing here up until verse 19.

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw this pleased the Jews he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up," he said. And the chains fell off Peter's wrists. When the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals," Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison but he had no idea he was seeing a real vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself and they went through it. When they had walked the length of the street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." When this had dawned on him he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter's voice she was so overjoyed. She ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door." "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so they said, "It must be his angel." But Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door they saw him and were astonished. Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. Then he said, "Tell James and the brothers about this," and he left them for another place. In the morning there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Acts 12:1-19

What we're reading about here, one of the first names we hear is Peter. A disciple of Jesus, someone who walked closely with Jesus. In Acts chapter 3 the Holy Spirit came to Peter and he began to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter is now preaching the gospel very publicly, very boldly. Some people are having a lot of problems with this. Not everyone is rejoicing or celebrating. For many people who are not accepting and receiving the gift of salvation it's quite the opposite.

King Herod is one of those people. He's not happy with what's happening. Someone else is now doing things out of his control. So Herod arrested Peter for preaching the good news of Jesus. This is where the story is picking up today. Peter has been arrested. He's in jail, in a space where he is captive, chained. The first thing I want us to catch here is when the angel appears to him and the chains are loosened and they fall off, he thought he was dreaming. He thought he was dreaming.

Why do I point this out? One, because it reminds us that God wants to move in our lives and does move in miraculous ways that feel too good to be true. It feels like it couldn't possibly be like this. He felt like he was dreaming.

But I also think the flip side is sometimes we have moments where I thought I was dreaming because there's no way God could actually do this. It can remind us sometimes of the doubts and things we still hold in our hearts that are keeping us and limiting us from seeing what God really wants to do. Because Peter had seen miraculous things. He walked with Jesus. If someone who walked with Jesus still, when miracles happen, thinks is this really you or is this a dream? That makes me feel a little bit better sometimes when I'm following Jesus and have moments where I'm like God, is this you? This doesn't seem real. Could it be?

The next thing I want us to see here is what is the first thing Peter does after he's released from prison? He goes to the praying people. He goes to those who had been praying, who had been interceding. This shows me all sorts of things about Peter. One is he knew like there are other people participating in this miracle. His life was not just about Peter and Peter recognized that his life was not his own. His life was not just about him preaching and making a name for himself. Rather he knew I am a part of helping people be set free from their spiritual chains and their brokenness the same way I was just physically set free from the things that held me captive. He's like I have a mission and there are other people that are participating in this that are hidden, working behind the scenes. He recognized that the miracles he was experiencing was not just about him, was not just a result of his prayers and his intercession but that there was a community of people participating through their prayers.

Private prayers lead to public answers. We see this in Peter's life. These private prayers that the people were praying led to these public answers and these miracles happening. This is what we see. I share this hopefully to encourage us today that sometimes we get to see our prayers answered and there are other times like when we pray for our missionaries and people serving around the world, we may never fully know how those prayers are answered.

I carry a great honor that I get to speak with a lot of you where I hear the really deep personal things I would never share publicly, how God is moving in your life. To know that as we're praying for people, even in our church, whether we fully see it or not, God is moving. This is one of those moments where Peter is able to come back and he's like guys hello I'm here I'm free. Your prayers worked.

I love this modeling we see in James. Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them. Anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. The Lord will raise them up. If they have sin they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

They were praying people. In verse 5 the church was earnestly praying to God for Peter. They were earnestly praying. Last week we talked about Barnabas and this idea of generosity, when you see a need you give to it. I love here we kind of see this continued. You hear of a need, you give to it, you respond to it, you pray for it. You pray on behalf of other people earnestly because the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

How much more powerful and effective is it when we come together as a community, as a church to pray? This is a reminder that for each and every one of us there's probably some sort of sense of things that are keeping us stuck, of things that feel like they are keeping us chained, keeping us from moving fully in the direction God has for us. I believe that even today as we sit here and worship and pray together that God wants to break those things, that he wants to set us free from anything holding us back from running straight towards him and who he has created us to be.

Rhoda's courage

As we keep reading in verse 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance. After he went to the praying people and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter's voice she was so overjoyed. She ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door." So she's excited. She's telling the people. Like this thing that we have been spending I don't even know how long praying for and praying for and praying for, he's here.

And what do they do? How do they respond to her? They say you are out of your mind. You are out of your mind. That's how they respond to her. They're like there's no way. God couldn't really set Peter free and do the very miracle we've been believing for. You're out of your mind.

What we know about Rhoda is very little because she's barely mentioned in the scriptures. But I want you to imagine a world where the door is not opened. Where Peter in this moment is actually taken back to Herod, where he actually goes to trial, where he actually is executed.

We wouldn't have what we continue to read in the New Testament what we have today. Yes God would work and he would use other people and all these things. But like Peter goes on to have a name. A lot of people know about this guy Peter. Yet there's this little girl that opens the door, that tells the people to open the door, the thing they've been praying for. Her role was so small yet so significant.

What we know about her is she's probably about 12 years old. We know she was a servant girl. We know that culturally at that time if you were a woman you were not going to be taken seriously. If you were a servant girl you definitely were not going to be taken seriously.

It's a reminder for us right? Like this is the church. So you're like weren't they amazing and treated everyone amazing? Well they were working some things out too as we're always working things out when we're humans coming together trying to follow Jesus. They're responding to her like based on some of these things of being okay little girl that's a nice idea but you're kind of crazy. Go back to what you were doing.

But she keeps insisting. She keeps coming back. They say you're out of your mind. She keeps insisting. Then finally they say well it must be his angel. They're still like okay we'll like kind of believe you. Maybe God's doing something but it must be his angel.

But Peter kept on knocking. When they finally listened to her and opened the door they saw him and were astonished. They were astonished that God answered their prayers. I don't know why I think that's so funny but I'm like how often do we do that too? Where we're like oh God came through. Wow. That's amazing.

But they're astonished and he motions for them and he's like okay be quiet and starts telling them what God did. Then things keep going throughout Scripture as we read and we're going to continue to talk about. But I love this here because the people responded with not believing her. The people responded with not thinking that God was actually going to come through.

It's a reminder that faith is a process today. Having faith and following Jesus is a process. It's not when I say yes to having a relationship with Jesus that means now I'm fully confident all the time. I never have any fears. Rather it's saying I'm going to continue to name those fears, take those to Jesus, surrender those fears and continue to walk without sight, which is really the definition of faith, towards Jesus.

And to say even when I don't fully understand how this is all going to work out or what's going to happen here I'm going to keep walking. I'm going to pray but I'm also going to respond and open that door to the miracle. Because that's the key here. Not only were the people praying for miracles but they were willing to have the boldness to be led by this young servant girl to open the door to the things God wanted to do, to remind them of.

But Rhoda had a choice to make. She could listen to the voices of those around her and ignore the miracle or she could choose to believe that God was doing a miraculous thing and open the door to that miracle. She chose to let go of her reputation in that moment. She chose to say yes to something that went beyond just her life.

I kind of want to preface some things here because there's a whole nother sermon series on discernment in the context of community and all these things. It's not saying like never listen to anybody else because that could give us permission to just live really wild lives that don't look like Jesus at all. But rather it's saying like there might be moments where you're going to risk your reputation to open the door to the miracles God has in your life.

There might be moments where God is speaking and he's showing you like it's time, it's time, it's time and nothing around you is going to make sense that it's actually time. But he's still saying take that step, open that door, keep going.

A question for us to process today is like, who is the loudest voice in your life? Who is that person where you're like yeah I'm all in for following Jesus but if this person questions one thing then it's like I'm out. I'm done. And who are voices that you can begin to invite to follow Jesus with you, to speak into your life, to point you to what God is saying to you through Scripture and through his Holy Spirit?

Because sometimes the ways that God invites us to follow him and participate in his story is not always going to make sense in the moment. It might look like walking back in the room and looking a little crazy for saying no I really truly believe it's Peter and we have to open this door to him.

Here's a few more things I want us to learn from Rhoda. When we choose to say yes to Jesus we are choosing to be a part of a bigger story. A story that's eternal. A story that we not only get to receive from but that we get to contribute to. There's so much beauty in this for us. Because again we don't hear a lot about Rhoda in the Bible but we do hear about Peter as a leader of the church, as the one that continues to do miracles.

But Rhoda was the one that opened the door and got the people to say let's not just pray but let's respond to these prayers and open the door. If I'm putting myself in her shoes there would be such an intense sense of humility that you have to have as you continue to participate and pray and recognize like this is not about me. This is not about my name. This is not about my reputation. But this is about participating in what God is doing in this church at this time in this moment.

That's what she's saying yes to. She's saying yes to God using her in her space that she's in as a servant girl. She doesn't have any position. She doesn't have any title. She doesn't have any authority in this situation but she's saying hey Peter is here.

This also shows me from the text and contextually that Rhoda was praying with them. She knew who they were praying for. She knew the sound of Peter's voice. She was someone that yes she was serving as a servant girl but she was also a part of that church. She was also praying and she was being faithful to do her role though seemingly small every single day.

For all of us we probably have our own stories of what this looks like, of the times where it's like I'm too this or I'm not enough this. We don't feel like we're qualified for what God has for us. Because the reality is not all of us are going to have these big Peter moments where we're preaching in front of 3000 people on the day of Pentecost and all that.

For most of us our big powerful moments will be in how we choose to love and forgive and be kind and point people to Jesus in the middle of our workday when we're a little hangry and tired and frustrated with our computer screen. For most of us it's going to look like sharing the love and the hope that Jesus forgives and is kind and is merciful and just in the way we choose to pursue reconciliation and relationships and forgive one another. It's going to look different.

But when I think of Rhoda I love this story so much because it reminds me so much of when I was 12 years old. That was one of those first times I really remember being so aware of God's presence and saying yes to him. I could still go back to the altar at the little church youth group I was at where I was like God I'm going to go anywhere. I'll do whatever. But I had no idea what that was going to look like.

It just looked nothing like I thought it would. Fast forward a few years later when I'm 18 and going to school I kept saying and some of you have heard this but I'd always say oh yeah I think God's calling me to be a pastor but I'm like but not like the main pastor because I was like I'm never going to do that. But just like a pastor, I don't know what, but like something.

Then the yes is just continue and continue and continue. And all of a sudden you find yourself in a place where you're like how did we get here? But it was one yes at a time. It was one, we're praying and we're hearing and we're responding and we're saying yes. We're opening the door over and over again.

That's what following Jesus is. It's not just this like linear thing but you have moments where you're like the church, where you're like I was praying and I saw God move and he spoke to me and it was amazing. I responded and then you're praying again and something happens. You're like well that's not God. I don't know about that. You might have questions and fears you have to surrender again.

I think about at 21 when I moved here to Madison to help start a college ministry and at 23 when saying yes to planting this church. I at those moments still had those lies and those things of like well I'm too young or I'm too female or I'm too fill in the blank. I can still go on and on about all those things. For each and every one of us I'm sure we have our own versions of I am too this or I'm not enough of this.

But I want us to see today there is power when we simply pray and say yes to the miracles God has and are willing to open the doors. Because praying is one thing but responding to the prayers is totally different. I wonder how often we can get stuck like the church did where we want to sit around and I love praying and I love prayer gatherings.

We're going to end our service in a few minutes, like praying together. But we can get so set and like we're praying and we're praying and praying to see the miracle and God's like I'm doing it. I'm knocking. I'm right here. Will you just say yes and open the door? It's here. I have things for you that I've been speaking, that I've been saying, and I want you to open the door and start to step into that.

When I listen, some of the things, I think one of the things I often say to God when I'm praying is God I'm just a kid. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just a little girl. I don't know what we're doing here. I'm reminded that it's like yes I'm his child. When we say yes to following Jesus we are his sons. We are his daughters. We're his children. We are now heirs.

Identity in Christ

I want to end with this as the worship team comes up. In Romans 8:14 through 17:

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again. Rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. If indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may share also in his glory.

Romans 8:14-17

I'm going to invite you to stand today. As I've been praying over this text there's a couple of things I sense. The first is just this reminder for us today that like it's not about us and that's really good news. Like when things are going really, really well, God's like I see you and I want you to celebrate this and rejoice in this and delight in this and know that it's for my glory and for you to share that and point other people. This is a taste of eternity. It's a taste of my kingdom that is coming.

And if we think like that then it also means when we're in moments where we're like everything's going wrong and like Peter in his chains just feeling stuck, it's also an encouragement. It's not all about us. There's so much going on that we can't see and we can't understand. God is working even when we can't see it.

For maybe some of you today you feel like you're in that where it's like I'm just stuck. I do have these chains around me and I just cannot figure out how to move. I cannot figure out how to get to the miracle. I cannot figure out how to get free.

Man there are people praying for you. We pray over this space every single Sunday. People praying for you to be set free and for God to redeem all those parts of your story. So that's a reminder. You're not alone in this. God is working. God is moving. He wants to use you to open doors to miracles everywhere that you go.

But it takes us not listening to the voice that says I'm stuck. I'm never going to get through this. God's never really going to heal. God's never really going to restore. But instead to pray earnestly like the church did for those miracles. To pray earnestly for God to set you free, to heal you, to restore you, to redeem you.

And then don't wait to understand to be obedient. Rhoda did not wait until she got all the details to be obedient. She didn't wait until she knew that she knew that she knew because that's what faith is. Sometimes you just have to walk and say okay God I'm hearing you and I'm listening and I'm going to open the door. Even if I don't understand, even if I misunderstood, I'm going to follow you in this.

So pray for the miracle, open the door and don't worry about who's getting the credit for it. Point it to Jesus time and time and time again. Because it's God who's writing this story. It's God who sent his son Jesus to die for us, to pay the price for our sins, to be raised back to life. Not so we can just sit here and be miserable and wait until we get to heaven but so we can pray and we can receive his goodness and his kingdom that is coming and being ushered in every single day and we can be a part of bringing that to the people around us.

Our lives and our prayers are a part of a bigger story and that constant reminder for us. The invitation is how do we open that door?

I want to give us a few minutes today to just pray and the prayer team is going to be available in the back corner to my right, your left here. I would love that, like in James, as the church is like hey if you're sick, if you have a need, if you know someone who does, partner with someone in prayer.

Go back. The prayer team is just going to ask you what you need prayer for and they're going to pray for you. But I want us to take a moment and have an honest conversation with God. I'm going to invite you to close your eyes across this room today. I want you to think of like what are you afraid to pray for? What are you so afraid to pray for?

And ask the Spirit to reveal to you why are you afraid to pray it? As those things come to you just lay those fears down. I just sense this invitation for us today to really just sit with the Holy Spirit for a few moments and just say like what are those things that it's like yeah I'm praying for this person to be set free but I don't know that I fully believe it can happen. What am I so afraid of and why?

Am I afraid that if I pray it God won't answer and if so I have to deal with the disappointment or the discouragement? Am I afraid that like what I'm asking for is too good or too big and like if it doesn't happen does that mean God doesn't want good things for me? What are those fears? What are those lies that come up? What is something that you're afraid to pray for?

So Holy Spirit would you just speak to us today? And then I want to just invite you into a moment of naming those things. Naming those fears. Naming those lies. And I want to just read and pray the scripture in Romans over us. That if you're here today and there are lies like if God doesn't answer it might mean I'm not enough or he's disappointed in me or this or that, to just remind you today that those led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

So God I just pray right now would your Holy Spirit lead us as your children? As we continue to say yes to following you and being obedient to you whether or not we understand, would you lead us through your Holy Spirit?

When you say that the Spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again, rather the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship and in him we cry Abba Father. God I pray for anyone in this room today that is struggling with being a child of yours, that feels like do you really love me? Do you really see me? Do you really care for me? Will you just pour out your love? And would you remind them today of their identity that is in you?

And would they move from this place walking and moving in that identity God? Knowing that you are for them, knowing that you are leading them and guiding them. Now if we are children then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. If indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may share also in his glory.

And so God I pray for those across this space today that are in a place of suffering and brokenness. Would you remind us of this story that we read where in Peter in his suffering, in his chains, you broke free. You set him free from that. And Lord that is a glimpse of eternity with you. And so whether we are experiencing that or not would you remind us that those of us when we share in your sufferings we share also in your glory and that there is a day coming that we will be free, that we will experience your miraculous power in fullness.

And so God as we just spend this time praying and seeking you would you continue through your Holy Spirit to show us any fears that we have and the ways that we're praying. Would we name those things and would we pray earnestly in faith for miracles today? We welcome your Holy Spirit.