June 17, 2025 • 30 mins
The original Jesus movement was known as "The Way" before the term Christian was even used, reflecting how the first believers embraced Jesus' claim to be the exclusive path to God.
• The designation "The Way" appears five times throughout the book of Acts
• Jesus proclaimed himself as "the way, the truth, and the life" in John 14:6
• Peter's Pentecost sermon led 3,000 people to be baptized and added to the church
• Following "The Way" involved conviction, baptism, devotion, unity, and daily fellowship
• When persecution scattered believers, they continued preaching everywhere they went
• The early church crossed cultural barriers by taking the message to Samaria
• Saul (Paul) transformed from persecutor of "The Way" to its most passionate advocate
• There are no examples of unbaptized believers in the early church
• The Lord added to the church those who were being saved
• Modern believers are challenged to share the same conviction and urgency
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hello friends, and welcome to the Rooted and
Grounded podcast.
What's up, my brother?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Matt, how are you guys?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
doing?
How are y'all?
What's going on with the tie?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I know we missed a memo yeah, oh, you didn't get it
.
Well, I was told there wasgoing to be a couple of scholars
show up today, but I guess theydidn't make it.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
So I was dressing up for them, still waiting, yeah,
yeah, we're still waitingthey'll be, here.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Okay, good, after the broadcast they'll be yeah later
on, okay make sure
Speaker 2 (00:36):
we wear a tie now.
Yeah, yeah, exactly yeah.
Then I'd feel like a thornamong two roses because I'm not
wearing one.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Oh goodness.
So at the end of the lastepisode, we kind of teased the
direction that we wanted to gowith the podcast, and that was
to begin talking about thechurch in more detail and spend
a few episodes just thinkingabout what the church is and
what the role it plays and therole we play as part of it.
(01:04):
And so we are going to beginthat discussion today by looking
kind of tying back to the John14 episode, when we talked about
Jesus being the way.
And so I think it's interestingthat in the book of Acts, five
different times the way is usedas the descriptor of the church.
Even before we have the termChristians, we have followers of
(01:26):
Christ being called members ofthe way.
And so I want to pull out justa couple of these as kind of
setting the scene, and then,Matt, we'll go to you to get
some more details on this.
So let me read.
The first one is Acts, chapter9, verses 1 and 2, and it says
but Saul, still breathingthreats and murder against the
(01:49):
disciples of the Lord, went tothe high priest and asked him
for letters to the synagogues atDamascus so that if he found
anyone belonging to the way, menor women, he might bring them
bound to Jerusalem.
Then in Acts 19, verse 9, itsays but when some became
stubborn and continued inunbelief, speaking evil of the
(02:09):
way before the congregation,Paul withdrew from them and took
the disciples with him.
And then in Acts 24, 14,.
(02:30):
And so that's kind of pullingfrom the scripture there, those
instances of the way.
But, Matt, talk to us moreabout how this terminology came
into being and thinking back towhat Jesus said in John 14.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, we had kind of a little bit touched on it when
we were talking about John 14, 6, but I think that, to begin
just these thoughts, actschapter 1, verse 8, jesus tells
them he says you'll be mywitnesses to me in Jerusalem and
in all Judea and Samaria and tothe end of the earth.
(03:04):
So it's this idea or thisthought of these guys going and
they're about to tell peopleabout Jesus.
They're going to be thewitnesses to say we saw him
alive, we saw him dead, we sawhim resurrected, and not only
did we see that, but there'sgood news in that, because you
can be saved.
But here's the deal and I thinkthat you know, last time we
(03:29):
talked about it it just keptcoming up in my mind and it's
still just on my mind now.
And I'm excited about talkingabout this point because at the
end of the conversation everytime, no matter what it was and
it's still true for us today wemay not proclaim it this way and
it may be shifting maybe alittle bit of the way that I
(03:50):
talk to people about it theywere telling people that this is
the only way to the Father,like they're telling Jews that
they're going to end up telling.
I mean, what does he say?
All Judea, samaria, and even tothe end of the earth, they're
about to proclaim a message topeople that there's only one way
(04:11):
.
There's only one way.
And they obviously areproclaiming it so much that
that's the nickname that theyget.
You know, it's like they callthem this sect or this group,
but that group is called the way.
And the question would be, ifyou'd never heard that, why are
they called the way?
And then the conversation evenif somebody, even if somebody
(04:34):
didn't believe what they weresaying, they would have to say
well, they believe that this guynamed Jesus is the only way to
heaven, or to the father, orwhatever they, or to the Father
or whatever, to the ultimate God, or however they would,
whatever that religion wouldtake them.
They're going to say that thesepeople believe that Jesus is
(04:58):
the only way.
That's encouraging to me,because they were willing to
stand on something so bold thatit became their nickname and we
were talking about it in Acts 2.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, I mean it took hold.
Yeah, I mean it wasn't justsomething that was passing by,
you know, it was something that,because they saw it in their
lives I believe Right and oncethey saw it it became real to
them and they saw these obviouschanges of life that was being
produced, that they go hey, Iwant some of that, you know, I
(05:32):
mean you've got something that Ineed, you've got something that
I desire.
So they would tell them aboutJesus.
And you know, when you come toActs 2, of course you know many
of us realize that's the firstrecorded what we would call
today a, a gospel sermon by theApostle Peter.
Of all people, I mean, whowould have ever picked him?
Yeah Right, I mean from thehuman standpoint.
Who would have ever said youknow the guy that delivered the
(05:53):
first sermon on the day ofPentecost that's been prophesied
for all these years?
Speaker 1 (06:00):
How about Peter Right yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Okay.
So here's the apostle peterstanding up and it says in acts,
chapter 2, verse 14, andfollowing here he is proclaiming
and I want you to notice whathe says.
Uh, in verse 22, as he'spreaching his sermon, he said
men of israel, listen to thesewords.
It's almost like he says okay,have I got your attention?
If I don't, I need it.
I want all ears and eyes to beright here.
Here's what you guys need tohear Jesus, the Nazarene, a man.
(06:28):
Now, he's been talked to youbefore by God.
He had been attested to you byGod and you know he's done so
with miracles and wonders andsigns which God performed.
Notice through him.
What did Jesus say back in John14?
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I'm him, I'm the way, I am the one.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
I'm the truth, I am the one, just as you selves know
.
I think that's important.
And he says you guys know this,you've got this, you understand
this.
And he said I know when thisman verse 23, you're delivering
him over by the preterm plan andforeknowledge of God, you
nailed to a cross by the handsof godless men and put him to
(07:07):
death.
But because Jesus is the way,okay, but God didn't leave him
there, because if he'd have lefthim there, what would happen?
There'd have been no way,there'd be no path to follow.
But God raised him up again andput in an end to the agony of
(07:28):
that death, since it'simpossible for him to be held by
its power.
In other words, god said jesusis the way, he's the only way.
He's proclaimed that to you.
He's told his disciples that.
And now, in the first recordedgospel sermon, what happened?
We talked about him, we talkedabout the way and people heard
that.
Because when you go on in acts,chapter 2, man, you see what
(07:49):
happens when people understandjesus is a way and they see that
way being demonstrated in life.
You want to be a part of that.
You want to you say what have Igot to do?
yeah you know what's the answerto the problem I have in life.
And when you continue to lookat the sermon, we see what
(08:10):
happened yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I think that you know , when you think about Jesus and
what he said, as they're outbeing these witnesses saying
we've heard this guy, we've seenthis guy, we lived with this
guy, we slept with this guy, wedid all these things with this
guy.
And here's what I'm trying totell you.
(08:33):
He talked about living anddying and resurrecting, and we
saw all of that play out and he,again and again and again, is
saying I am, and all of the onesthat we talked about, he's not
doing that on accident, he'sdoing it on purpose.
And I think to me it's just anamazing thing.
I'm still trying to grasp it.
(08:55):
Really, of all the things thatthey could have said or all the
nicknames that they could havereceived, the one that always
got them was he's the way, thatis the way to go, and it's only
through Jesus and I think itjust.
It just preaches a verypowerful sermon and you see it
right here, um, on the day ofPentecost, because when they
(09:18):
hear it, they're cut andtherefore it causes what you
were going to talk about in Acts2.38 is obedience happens, yeah
.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Well, and really I think, if you look at the
resurrection, it is the fulcrum,or it is that middle point of
the seesaw for really all ofhuman history.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Scholar stuff.
Did you hear that here that?
Speaker 3 (09:44):
here he comes.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Oh, he did show up one.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
One out two is not bad, I don't get to say fulcrum
very I mean I'm like yes, yeah,that's probably the first time
I've ever heard me too, and itwasn't planned either.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I love it Just one of those thoughts that came up.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
But you think about it, and so if the resurrection
is that kind of point of teeterthen the very first really
significant event to happenafter the resurrection is the
church.
And so it kind of like as theseesaw tilts down, the very
first thing that happens is thechurch, and so it kind of like
as the seesaw tilts down, thevery first thing that happens is
the church, and then everythingelse is happening because of it
(10:23):
and the structure of the way.
Yeah, and so with that, let's goto the end of that chapter two,
and I want to pull out a coupleof different points and I know
it's a couple of verses, but Iwant to read them because I've
got five things that I want topull out.
Read them, because I've gotfive things that I want to pull
out.
So, at 2, 37, um, peter is donespeaking and it says the people
were cut to the heart.
And they said to Peter and theapostles, brothers, what shall
(10:45):
we do?
Important question Uh, verse 38, peter said repent and be
baptized, every one of you, inthe name of Jesus Christ, for
the forgiveness of your sins,and you will receive the gift of
(11:12):
the way, added that day, about3,000 souls.
And so, as we think about whatfollowing Jesus means and
putting that in context of theway, here is what that entails
from these verses.
Number one is conviction.
So you look at verse 37, itsays they were cut to the heart.
If you want to follow Jesus,then you have to believe that he
(11:34):
is.
He's the son of God.
And you have to seek him andthey say what shall we do?
And to seek him.
You meet him in the waters ofbaptism.
You put off the old self, youput on the new self and that is
where a really a holy uniontakes place, there in the waters
of baptism.
Verse 42, it talks aboutdevotion to teaching, to
(11:55):
fellowship, to prayer.
Verse 45.
Sorry, I went down through therest of the chapter there Verse
45, it talks about unity andgiving to the poor.
And then verse 46 and 47, itbrings up daily fellowship and
worship.
And I think this is an importantaspect of the church in the way
that I want to talk about,because we provide time for
(12:17):
worship as a body of believers,and I think that is a biblical
thing that we are instructed todo.
But also, worship and thechurch extend beyond what we do
on Sundays and Wednesdays, andso we need to be together with
other believers during the week.
We need to have connectionswith people who are part of the
(12:38):
body, that we can be friendswith, that we can talk to, that
we can help, that we can justenjoy and share life with.
Also, I think about the worshipaspect, and I know Romans 12
talks about that our life shouldbe a form of worship, but that
everything we do should bebecause we're part of the way,
we're part of the church.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
We are part of.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Jesus.
So all of that to say, when wethink about what the way is and
why the early followers werepart of the way and why we are
part of the way, it is becausewe want to be with Jesus.
That's right and we want tolive for Him.
And so guys any comments?
Speaker 2 (13:16):
on that.
Oh yeah, I mean, I think whenyou say what is the what?
The way is?
It's simple, if you want to putit in just real simple terms,
like you just have followingjesus, sure, right, and you
follow him here.
You be with him there ineternity and and that's really
what the way is all about isleading us to the father yeah I
mean, and that's exactly what wefind in in acts, chapter two,
(13:38):
and when they were continued to,to be added to the, to the
kingdom, to the church, to theway uh, they were, they were.
That conviction led them tofollow him.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
I think about when jesus is talking in uh matthew,
about the narrow way and thewide way, and I think, think
that the narrow way is, you know, he says it's difficult and
it's hard to find, and you know,maybe another lesson for
another time but the idea thatthe wide way is easy but this
(14:11):
narrow way is difficult.
Well, the reason why it'sdifficult is because people
don't want to follow Jesus,because people don't want to, as
soon as they're pressed withthis point, to have to follow
him now, all of a sudden.
I mean, his very first commentis anybody wants to follow me?
Deny self.
Okay, well, I'm out.
Young, rich ruler.
You know, what I'm saying.
He did all the things, but whatwas he not willing to do?
(14:33):
He wasn't willing to follow theway he says go sell all your
stuff and then come and followme.
Well, wait a minute, you're not, I'm going to stay on the wide
way.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Like wait a minute, you're going to provide for me
what I have, I don't you know.
And so I think that what washappening early on and the
reason why this sect began togrow and we'll talk about it
more as we continue in the nextlessons on this establishment of
the church and the beauty of it, really but the idea of this
(15:05):
beginning group is all of them,they all are saying, and I think
it is interchangeable these Iam statements, but it is
interesting to me that the waywas the one that's elevated, and
I keep coming back to thisbecause I think if you follow
the way, what you find is thetruth.
And if you follow the way, youfind that there's a resurrection
(15:27):
and if you follow the way, youunderstand that there's that
shepherd.
And I listen to his voice and Ifollow it.
And now, all of a sudden,everything that Jesus is saying
to me now, all of a sudden, Ihold very valuable to me.
And now, all of a sudden,everything that Jesus is saying
to me, now, all of a sudden, Ihold very valuable to me.
And now, all of a sudden, whenI do face persecution, what I
know is leap jump for joy.
It's good, because you'reactually doing the thing that's
(15:49):
causing people to recognize thatyou're part of a different way.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Kind of what happened in verse 46, yep in acts 2, and
they were together, thatfellowship that you were talking
about, matt, with gladness, andI think it says something what
you were just saying, mattsincerity, yep of heart, yep,
that he had cut them to thepoint.
It's very simple, yep, and theywere sincere about it, because
they understood, yep, the waythat that Jesus had said to the
(16:18):
apostles.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
So, wayne, I know you've got an interesting
connection that you want to makea little later on in the book
of Acts.
Why don't you make that for us?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Yeah, well, you know we found in Acts 2, the church
is established.
It said the way, here's the way, because Jesus is the truth and
the life.
And now Saul understoodsomething, guys.
Saul was opposed to thistremendously.
You remember yep acts, chapter7.
Stephen stoned to death andthere was saul, yep uh, highly
religious man, judaism, it seemsto me like that.
(16:51):
He saw what the way was doing.
He saw the people following, hesaw them being convicted.
Then he saw them comingtogether, like we saw in Acts 2.
So here's Saul.
He understands something, guys.
He knew without a shadow ofdoubt that those two cannot
dwell together, thatChristianity and Judaism cannot
dwell together.
(17:11):
So you know what We've got toput away the way.
We've got to snuff this out, ifyou will.
Okay, so what we find in Acts 8, then it's very interesting.
In Acts 8, in verse 1, paul wasin hearty agreement with
putting Stephen to death.
You know there's a lot to besaid about that, but we'll move
(17:32):
on.
On that day, a great persecutionbegan against the church in
Jerusalem, and they were allscattered throughout all the
regions of Judea, samaria,except the apostles.
Now let's see if we can getthis picture here.
They are the apostles inJerusalem, the disciples, those
(17:54):
who are becoming followers ofthe way.
Guess what?
They're not here anymore.
They've been scattered abroad.
Look at verse 4.
Therefore, those who had beenscattered went about preaching
about the way, preaching aboutthe word.
And what's amazing to me is whenyou look at Acts 8, in verse 1,
and they were scatteredthroughout the regions of Judea,
(18:17):
samaria.
You remember what you read afew moments ago, acts 1, verse
8,.
What did Jesus say would happen?
They're going to be mywitnesses.
They're going to be mywitnesses in Jerusalem.
Okay, which they have been,because all of a sudden, people
are following this way,following Jesus, part of the
church, and he says you're notgoing to be only in Jerusalem,
(18:42):
you're going to be in Jude,jerusalem, you're going to be in
judea and samara and to theuttermost parts of the world.
It's interesting to me chapter 1, verse 8.
You come to chapter 8, verse 1,and you see that occurring.
You see that happening.
What jesus said would occur isnow taking place.
But now look what?
What Saul's doing in chapter 9.
You read verse 2 earlier.
Matt Paul's still breathing outthreats, okay, murder against
(19:05):
the disciples of the Lord.
The two can't exist together inhis mind.
Okay, so he went to theDamascus, went to the synagogues
at Damascus and said look, ifanyone be found belonging to the
way, I want to bound them, bindthem and bring them to
jerusalem now.
Wait a minute.
What was he standing against?
(19:26):
Church, the church.
What was it called?
The way.
So when you look at these twopassages, acts 8 1 and acts 9 2,
what we have an understanding?
He just gives us a greatinsight of what the way is,
exactly what you pointed outearlier that after resurrection
it was the body of Christ, itwas the church, it was the
(19:47):
family of God.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
The one thing you're saying, that Acts 8, 4,.
Therefore, those who werescattered the church, the way
they went, everywhere preachingthe word, it did not affect them
.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
But here's the amazing thing You're right and
it always has made me imaginemeeting some of them along the
way.
Okay, they've just losteverything, they've been driven
from their homes and likely theyhad very little, because maybe
of what was on their back Right,and they went on their back
Right.
And they went on their way andyou know what they're doing.
Oh, you don't want to be a partof this thing about the way man
, that's terrible.
(20:25):
No, they were preaching aboutthe way they're embracing it.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Oh, they're saying you see what's happening?
I mean, I'm thinking about justthat person on the road, just
like you're saying, the road,just like you're saying.
And here they are with theirfamily.
They don't have anything,hardly, except just the things
that they grab, becausescattered to me means a really
quick exit, exactly right.
So here they are, they'vereally quickly exited, and when
(20:50):
people come up to them and theystart talking to them, they say
what's happened?
How come this is going on?
Because I got to tell you aboutthis guy that's changed my life
.
Right, he's changed their life.
Yeah, uh, I thought you're onthe run, I thought you're trying
to get away.
I thought you're being harassed.
I am, but here's the deal.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
I got to tell you about this guy, what is
happening to these people andthe reason it looks like they
were scattered is it was a greatpersecution yes, it wasn't a
persecution.
Yes, the word great's heavy theword great magnifies it, that's
right Qualifies the depth of itand the seriousness of it.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
I mean to me when it says Saul still breathing,
threats and murder against thedisciples, I mean there had to
be—I've never had somebody tryto murder me.
I don't even know what thatwould feel like, but I've had
people be mad at me or I'veheard from them when I was
younger hey, man, we're going tohave a fight, we're going to
(21:44):
fight after school.
You know like even in thosemoments there is that a little
bit of anxiety like man, hemight beat me up and he did yeah
, but when they told me thatthere was only one there and
I'll let you guess- who it was.
But you know, like thoseemotions in the world cause a
very different reaction.
But these guys, they were okayto be bound and led to Jerusalem
(22:08):
.
They were okay to do thatbecause what they knew, and I
think that this may be anapplication for us to just
really press down on, and Ithink that the church has to
recognize something and maybecome back to this idea they were
preaching the way man, and thatthat attitude and that
(22:29):
mentality and that just fervorand desire for that way was
worth dying for.
Are we there?
I mean what you know, it's likeI may tell somebody about Jesus
, I may talk about how good heis, but it's like and this is
talking about the church, thebody of Christ, to be a part of
(22:49):
Well, and as you're talking, Ithink about just the disconnects
between the early church and us.
Yes, we've got it easy.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
And I think, in a lot of ways, it's easy for this to
be almost unrelatable.
I mean, yes, we follow the sameway and we want to do the same
things, but we have no threats,we have no fears.
I mean anything that weexperience is going to be very
minor compared to what theyexperience.
So how do we kind of meld thefaith of them and of us in the
(23:18):
way and continue on with thatsame fervor and intensity, even
when we don't have the samechallenges that they did?
Speaker 3 (23:27):
I would say for me, remembering the message.
I think the power is in themessage when I think about my
life and I think about thethings that I've been redeemed
from and reconciled to and how I, as a sinful person who doesn't
deserve anything, especially ina great God in the grand scheme
(23:50):
of it, who not only loves mebut wants me to be a part of his
family and allows me to be it.
You know this idea Wayne hadtalked about it really at the
beginning of the year this ideaof love, you know, and being
revived in our love, and thisidea of God loved us so much
(24:11):
that he allowed us to be hischildren.
I think that that's a drivingmotivation that you know.
I've talked to people and I'vesaid you're worth it and they're
like I'm not worth it.
People and I've said you'reworth it and they're like I'm
not worth it.
I'm like, no, you're worth it.
And then, once they can realizeand recognize their worth, now,
all of the sudden, it's like alight bulb goes off in their
mind.
This is what was happening topeople in this time who probably
(24:34):
were slaves, people who didn'thave hardly anything, and all of
a sudden they see this greatvalue in their life.
Man, if you give somebody hope,it's a game changer.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
They had the message.
But the source of that message,you see, all the way through
the book of Acts, is about theman.
That's right, because youremember in John 14, the way,
the truth, and then you havethat life.
And once they saw that truth,and then you have that life.
Yeah, and once they saw that.
So when I think about thatconviction they had, um, it was
because of the man himself.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
And he said you remember, back in acts 2, you
know, yeah, yeah, and so I think, trying to tie this all
together, um, if we look in acts, chapter 8, at verse 5, it says
phil Philip went down to thecity of Samaria and proclaimed
with them Christ.
And so we've got Jerusalem,we've got Judea, now we've got
Samaria into the midst.
(25:26):
And then you look at verse 12,at the result of his preaching,
preaching, and it says but whenthey believed Philip as he
preached good news about thekingdom of God in the name of
Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
And so one of the distinctionsthat I want to make sure to pull
out is the fact that, wheneveryou read scripture, there are no
(25:49):
examples of unbaptizedbelievers.
If someone believes in Christ,then they meet him in the water.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
And.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
I think that's an important part of this way and
really that message that we keepgoing back to in Acts 1-8 of
you're going to go and here'swhat you're going to do, and
here's what you're going toteach them, and here's how the
way is going to function.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
And if you're going to follow him, that's what you
do.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
You stay on the path and you know.
It's amazing because in Acts 2and then here in Acts 8, those
that listened and heard andbelieved, they did the same
thing.
Acts 2, 38, they repented andbe baptized.
And Acts 8, 12, they believedChrist and about the church, the
kingdom, and they were baptized.
And guys, this is a I meanreally, this is a gigantic step.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Okay, yeah, when you think about the Samaritans,
because I mean you know, a lotof us realize the relationship
that was not present with them.
I mean they had a hatred foreach other, right.
So when we understand going toSamaria and taking the message
of Jesus about the way, aboutthe man, and this is huge.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Yeah, I think for me, you know, when I think about
Acts 2, verse 47,.
It says praising God and havingfavor with all the people in
the Lord added to the churchdaily, those who were being
saved.
So, just like you just read,you ain't going to add yourself
to any church.
But guess what?
The Lord will add you to hischurch, which is his body, which
(27:23):
is the way when you follow him.
He will add you to his family.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
And that's an incredible thing.
You follow the man and followhis message.
It leads you right there.
He said I came to give you lifeand I came to.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
It leads you right there.
Yeah, he said, I came to giveyou life and I came to give it
to you more abundantly.
I mean, how many times couldthese people teach this type of
message?
And it just is like incredible,you know, like I got to go this
way.
Show me how to go this way.
You know, that's right.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
All right guys, so we've covered a lot of ground
and I feel like had really gooddiscussion on what the way is.
And we've got a couple morelessons planned on this topic,
but for today, let's think aboutmaking it real, matt.
What's our takeaway from you?
Speaker 3 (28:11):
I just think that you know I'm kind of weighing on
this idea that following the wayis following the man and
recognizing just how much Jesusloves us and cares about us and
he's worth telling people about.
He is worth telling peopleabout him and the love that he
has for us and for, you know,for humanity as a whole humanity
(28:45):
as a whole.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Just um, if we could just have that ambitious desire
that saul had against the church.
If we could have that, becauseI can imagine he had to be very
ambitious about this trip he wasmaking he had the letter, he
had the approval of the higherauthority to bind them up, bring
them back, okay, and it musthave been pretty ambitious
because I mean, he couldn't jumpin his automobile like we do
(29:07):
today 140-mile trip there about.
I mean, you're talking about aweek's journey.
And just to do what?
Because I'm ambitious to snuffout the message in the way.
But guess what?
He couldn't Got him.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
He got him, the man got him With the message.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Very literally.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
And then I would say, for mine it's just the reminder
that we get to be part of theGreat Commission.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
You think?
Speaker 1 (29:36):
about how the Gospel of Matthew ends and Jesus says
go into all the worlds andbaptize and do the things We've
talked about.
The whole episode and the earlychurch handled Jerusalem, they
handled Judea, they handledSamaria and really, to a large
extent, they handled the knownworld at the time.
If you look at the apostles, Ithink they stretched from
(29:57):
England to India by the time oftheir death and a lot of places
in between.
But we get to continue sharingit to the ends of the earth and
whether that's with the peoplewe live, with the people we work
with or ways we can go,digitally or physically, around
the world.
We can share the gospel easierthan we ever have before.
Let's not forget that command.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
It's a great blessing yeah the way.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
It is.
All right Well thank you allfor listening.
We hope it's beneficial to you.
May you walk in the light.
Take care, thank you you.
Hello friends, and welcome to the Rooted and
Grounded podcast.
What's up, my brother?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Matt, how are you guys?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
doing?
How are y'all?
What's going on with the tie?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I know we missed a memo yeah, oh, you didn't get it
.
Well, I was told there wasgoing to be a couple of scholars
show up today, but I guess theydidn't make it.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
So I was dressing up for them, still waiting, yeah,
yeah, we're still waitingthey'll be, here.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Okay, good, after the broadcast they'll be yeah later
on, okay make sure
Speaker 2 (00:36):
we wear a tie now.
Yeah, yeah, exactly yeah.
Then I'd feel like a thornamong two roses because I'm not
wearing one.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Oh goodness.
So at the end of the lastepisode, we kind of teased the
direction that we wanted to gowith the podcast, and that was
to begin talking about thechurch in more detail and spend
a few episodes just thinkingabout what the church is and
what the role it plays and therole we play as part of it.
(01:04):
And so we are going to beginthat discussion today by looking
kind of tying back to the John14 episode, when we talked about
Jesus being the way.
And so I think it's interestingthat in the book of Acts, five
different times the way is usedas the descriptor of the church.
Even before we have the termChristians, we have followers of
(01:26):
Christ being called members ofthe way.
And so I want to pull out justa couple of these as kind of
setting the scene, and then,Matt, we'll go to you to get
some more details on this.
So let me read.
The first one is Acts, chapter9, verses 1 and 2, and it says
but Saul, still breathingthreats and murder against the
(01:49):
disciples of the Lord, went tothe high priest and asked him
for letters to the synagogues atDamascus so that if he found
anyone belonging to the way, menor women, he might bring them
bound to Jerusalem.
Then in Acts 19, verse 9, itsays but when some became
stubborn and continued inunbelief, speaking evil of the
(02:09):
way before the congregation,Paul withdrew from them and took
the disciples with him.
And then in Acts 24, 14,.
(02:30):
And so that's kind of pullingfrom the scripture there, those
instances of the way.
But, Matt, talk to us moreabout how this terminology came
into being and thinking back towhat Jesus said in John 14.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, we had kind of a little bit touched on it when
we were talking about John 14, 6, but I think that, to begin
just these thoughts, actschapter 1, verse 8, jesus tells
them he says you'll be mywitnesses to me in Jerusalem and
in all Judea and Samaria and tothe end of the earth.
(03:04):
So it's this idea or thisthought of these guys going and
they're about to tell peopleabout Jesus.
They're going to be thewitnesses to say we saw him
alive, we saw him dead, we sawhim resurrected, and not only
did we see that, but there'sgood news in that, because you
can be saved.
But here's the deal and I thinkthat you know, last time we
(03:29):
talked about it it just keptcoming up in my mind and it's
still just on my mind now.
And I'm excited about talkingabout this point because at the
end of the conversation everytime, no matter what it was and
it's still true for us today wemay not proclaim it this way and
it may be shifting maybe alittle bit of the way that I
(03:50):
talk to people about it theywere telling people that this is
the only way to the Father,like they're telling Jews that
they're going to end up telling.
I mean, what does he say?
All Judea, samaria, and even tothe end of the earth, they're
about to proclaim a message topeople that there's only one way
(04:11):
.
There's only one way.
And they obviously areproclaiming it so much that
that's the nickname that theyget.
You know, it's like they callthem this sect or this group,
but that group is called the way.
And the question would be, ifyou'd never heard that, why are
they called the way?
And then the conversation evenif somebody, even if somebody
(04:34):
didn't believe what they weresaying, they would have to say
well, they believe that this guynamed Jesus is the only way to
heaven, or to the father, orwhatever they, or to the Father
or whatever, to the ultimate God, or however they would,
whatever that religion wouldtake them.
They're going to say that thesepeople believe that Jesus is
(04:58):
the only way.
That's encouraging to me,because they were willing to
stand on something so bold thatit became their nickname and we
were talking about it in Acts 2.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, I mean it took hold.
Yeah, I mean it wasn't justsomething that was passing by,
you know, it was something that,because they saw it in their
lives I believe Right and oncethey saw it it became real to
them and they saw these obviouschanges of life that was being
produced, that they go hey, Iwant some of that, you know, I
(05:32):
mean you've got something that Ineed, you've got something that
I desire.
So they would tell them aboutJesus.
And you know, when you come toActs 2, of course you know many
of us realize that's the firstrecorded what we would call
today a, a gospel sermon by theApostle Peter.
Of all people, I mean, whowould have ever picked him?
Yeah Right, I mean from thehuman standpoint.
Who would have ever said youknow the guy that delivered the
(05:53):
first sermon on the day ofPentecost that's been prophesied
for all these years?
Speaker 1 (06:00):
How about Peter Right yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Okay.
So here's the apostle peterstanding up and it says in acts,
chapter 2, verse 14, andfollowing here he is proclaiming
and I want you to notice whathe says.
Uh, in verse 22, as he'spreaching his sermon, he said
men of israel, listen to thesewords.
It's almost like he says okay,have I got your attention?
If I don't, I need it.
I want all ears and eyes to beright here.
Here's what you guys need tohear Jesus, the Nazarene, a man.
(06:28):
Now, he's been talked to youbefore by God.
He had been attested to you byGod and you know he's done so
with miracles and wonders andsigns which God performed.
Notice through him.
What did Jesus say back in John14?
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I'm him, I'm the way, I am the one.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
I'm the truth, I am the one, just as you selves know
.
I think that's important.
And he says you guys know this,you've got this, you understand
this.
And he said I know when thisman verse 23, you're delivering
him over by the preterm plan andforeknowledge of God, you
nailed to a cross by the handsof godless men and put him to
(07:07):
death.
But because Jesus is the way,okay, but God didn't leave him
there, because if he'd have lefthim there, what would happen?
There'd have been no way,there'd be no path to follow.
But God raised him up again andput in an end to the agony of
(07:28):
that death, since it'simpossible for him to be held by
its power.
In other words, god said jesusis the way, he's the only way.
He's proclaimed that to you.
He's told his disciples that.
And now, in the first recordedgospel sermon, what happened?
We talked about him, we talkedabout the way and people heard
that.
Because when you go on in acts,chapter 2, man, you see what
(07:49):
happens when people understandjesus is a way and they see that
way being demonstrated in life.
You want to be a part of that.
You want to you say what have Igot to do?
yeah you know what's the answerto the problem I have in life.
And when you continue to lookat the sermon, we see what
(08:10):
happened yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I think that you know , when you think about Jesus and
what he said, as they're outbeing these witnesses saying
we've heard this guy, we've seenthis guy, we lived with this
guy, we slept with this guy, wedid all these things with this
guy.
And here's what I'm trying totell you.
(08:33):
He talked about living anddying and resurrecting, and we
saw all of that play out and he,again and again and again, is
saying I am, and all of the onesthat we talked about, he's not
doing that on accident, he'sdoing it on purpose.
And I think to me it's just anamazing thing.
I'm still trying to grasp it.
(08:55):
Really, of all the things thatthey could have said or all the
nicknames that they could havereceived, the one that always
got them was he's the way, thatis the way to go, and it's only
through Jesus and I think itjust.
It just preaches a verypowerful sermon and you see it
right here, um, on the day ofPentecost, because when they
(09:18):
hear it, they're cut andtherefore it causes what you
were going to talk about in Acts2.38 is obedience happens, yeah
.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Well, and really I think, if you look at the
resurrection, it is the fulcrum,or it is that middle point of
the seesaw for really all ofhuman history.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Scholar stuff.
Did you hear that here that?
Speaker 3 (09:44):
here he comes.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Oh, he did show up one.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
One out two is not bad, I don't get to say fulcrum
very I mean I'm like yes, yeah,that's probably the first time
I've ever heard me too, and itwasn't planned either.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I love it Just one of those thoughts that came up.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
But you think about it, and so if the resurrection
is that kind of point of teeterthen the very first really
significant event to happenafter the resurrection is the
church.
And so it kind of like as theseesaw tilts down, the very
first thing that happens is thechurch, and so it kind of like
as the seesaw tilts down, thevery first thing that happens is
the church, and then everythingelse is happening because of it
(10:23):
and the structure of the way.
Yeah, and so with that, let's goto the end of that chapter two,
and I want to pull out a coupleof different points and I know
it's a couple of verses, but Iwant to read them because I've
got five things that I want topull out.
Read them, because I've gotfive things that I want to pull
out.
So, at 2, 37, um, peter is donespeaking and it says the people
were cut to the heart.
And they said to Peter and theapostles, brothers, what shall
(10:45):
we do?
Important question Uh, verse 38, peter said repent and be
baptized, every one of you, inthe name of Jesus Christ, for
the forgiveness of your sins,and you will receive the gift of
(11:12):
the way, added that day, about3,000 souls.
And so, as we think about whatfollowing Jesus means and
putting that in context of theway, here is what that entails
from these verses.
Number one is conviction.
So you look at verse 37, itsays they were cut to the heart.
If you want to follow Jesus,then you have to believe that he
(11:34):
is.
He's the son of God.
And you have to seek him andthey say what shall we do?
And to seek him.
You meet him in the waters ofbaptism.
You put off the old self, youput on the new self and that is
where a really a holy uniontakes place, there in the waters
of baptism.
Verse 42, it talks aboutdevotion to teaching, to
(11:55):
fellowship, to prayer.
Verse 45.
Sorry, I went down through therest of the chapter there Verse
45, it talks about unity andgiving to the poor.
And then verse 46 and 47, itbrings up daily fellowship and
worship.
And I think this is an importantaspect of the church in the way
that I want to talk about,because we provide time for
(12:17):
worship as a body of believers,and I think that is a biblical
thing that we are instructed todo.
But also, worship and thechurch extend beyond what we do
on Sundays and Wednesdays, andso we need to be together with
other believers during the week.
We need to have connectionswith people who are part of the
(12:38):
body, that we can be friendswith, that we can talk to, that
we can help, that we can justenjoy and share life with.
Also, I think about the worshipaspect, and I know Romans 12
talks about that our life shouldbe a form of worship, but that
everything we do should bebecause we're part of the way,
we're part of the church.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
We are part of.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Jesus.
So all of that to say, when wethink about what the way is and
why the early followers werepart of the way and why we are
part of the way, it is becausewe want to be with Jesus.
That's right and we want tolive for Him.
And so guys any comments?
Speaker 2 (13:16):
on that.
Oh yeah, I mean, I think whenyou say what is the what?
The way is?
It's simple, if you want to putit in just real simple terms,
like you just have followingjesus, sure, right, and you
follow him here.
You be with him there ineternity and and that's really
what the way is all about isleading us to the father yeah I
mean, and that's exactly what wefind in in acts, chapter two,
(13:38):
and when they were continued to,to be added to the, to the
kingdom, to the church, to theway uh, they were, they were.
That conviction led them tofollow him.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
I think about when jesus is talking in uh matthew,
about the narrow way and thewide way, and I think, think
that the narrow way is, you know, he says it's difficult and
it's hard to find, and you know,maybe another lesson for
another time but the idea thatthe wide way is easy but this
(14:11):
narrow way is difficult.
Well, the reason why it'sdifficult is because people
don't want to follow Jesus,because people don't want to, as
soon as they're pressed withthis point, to have to follow
him now, all of a sudden.
I mean, his very first commentis anybody wants to follow me?
Deny self.
Okay, well, I'm out.
Young, rich ruler.
You know, what I'm saying.
He did all the things, but whatwas he not willing to do?
(14:33):
He wasn't willing to follow theway he says go sell all your
stuff and then come and followme.
Well, wait a minute, you're not, I'm going to stay on the wide
way.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Like wait a minute, you're going to provide for me
what I have, I don't you know.
And so I think that what washappening early on and the
reason why this sect began togrow and we'll talk about it
more as we continue in the nextlessons on this establishment of
the church and the beauty of it, really but the idea of this
(15:05):
beginning group is all of them,they all are saying, and I think
it is interchangeable these Iam statements, but it is
interesting to me that the waywas the one that's elevated, and
I keep coming back to thisbecause I think if you follow
the way, what you find is thetruth.
And if you follow the way, youfind that there's a resurrection
(15:27):
and if you follow the way, youunderstand that there's that
shepherd.
And I listen to his voice and Ifollow it.
And now, all of a sudden,everything that Jesus is saying
to me now, all of a sudden, Ihold very valuable to me.
And now, all of a sudden,everything that Jesus is saying
to me, now, all of a sudden, Ihold very valuable to me.
And now, all of a sudden, whenI do face persecution, what I
know is leap jump for joy.
It's good, because you'reactually doing the thing that's
(15:49):
causing people to recognize thatyou're part of a different way.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Kind of what happened in verse 46, yep in acts 2, and
they were together, thatfellowship that you were talking
about, matt, with gladness, andI think it says something what
you were just saying, mattsincerity, yep of heart, yep,
that he had cut them to thepoint.
It's very simple, yep, and theywere sincere about it, because
they understood, yep, the waythat that Jesus had said to the
(16:18):
apostles.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
So, wayne, I know you've got an interesting
connection that you want to makea little later on in the book
of Acts.
Why don't you make that for us?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Yeah, well, you know we found in Acts 2, the church
is established.
It said the way, here's the way, because Jesus is the truth and
the life.
And now Saul understoodsomething, guys.
Saul was opposed to thistremendously.
You remember yep acts, chapter7.
Stephen stoned to death andthere was saul, yep uh, highly
religious man, judaism, it seemsto me like that.
(16:51):
He saw what the way was doing.
He saw the people following, hesaw them being convicted.
Then he saw them comingtogether, like we saw in Acts 2.
So here's Saul.
He understands something, guys.
He knew without a shadow ofdoubt that those two cannot
dwell together, thatChristianity and Judaism cannot
dwell together.
(17:11):
So you know what We've got toput away the way.
We've got to snuff this out, ifyou will.
Okay, so what we find in Acts 8, then it's very interesting.
In Acts 8, in verse 1, paul wasin hearty agreement with
putting Stephen to death.
You know there's a lot to besaid about that, but we'll move
(17:32):
on.
On that day, a great persecutionbegan against the church in
Jerusalem, and they were allscattered throughout all the
regions of Judea, samaria,except the apostles.
Now let's see if we can getthis picture here.
They are the apostles inJerusalem, the disciples, those
(17:54):
who are becoming followers ofthe way.
Guess what?
They're not here anymore.
They've been scattered abroad.
Look at verse 4.
Therefore, those who had beenscattered went about preaching
about the way, preaching aboutthe word.
And what's amazing to me is whenyou look at Acts 8, in verse 1,
and they were scatteredthroughout the regions of Judea,
(18:17):
samaria.
You remember what you read afew moments ago, acts 1, verse
8,.
What did Jesus say would happen?
They're going to be mywitnesses.
They're going to be mywitnesses in Jerusalem.
Okay, which they have been,because all of a sudden, people
are following this way,following Jesus, part of the
church, and he says you're notgoing to be only in Jerusalem,
(18:42):
you're going to be in Jude,jerusalem, you're going to be in
judea and samara and to theuttermost parts of the world.
It's interesting to me chapter 1, verse 8.
You come to chapter 8, verse 1,and you see that occurring.
You see that happening.
What jesus said would occur isnow taking place.
But now look what?
What Saul's doing in chapter 9.
You read verse 2 earlier.
Matt Paul's still breathing outthreats, okay, murder against
(19:05):
the disciples of the Lord.
The two can't exist together inhis mind.
Okay, so he went to theDamascus, went to the synagogues
at Damascus and said look, ifanyone be found belonging to the
way, I want to bound them, bindthem and bring them to
jerusalem now.
Wait a minute.
What was he standing against?
(19:26):
Church, the church.
What was it called?
The way.
So when you look at these twopassages, acts 8 1 and acts 9 2,
what we have an understanding?
He just gives us a greatinsight of what the way is,
exactly what you pointed outearlier that after resurrection
it was the body of Christ, itwas the church, it was the
(19:47):
family of God.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
The one thing you're saying, that Acts 8, 4,.
Therefore, those who werescattered the church, the way
they went, everywhere preachingthe word, it did not affect them
.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
But here's the amazing thing You're right and
it always has made me imaginemeeting some of them along the
way.
Okay, they've just losteverything, they've been driven
from their homes and likely theyhad very little, because maybe
of what was on their back Right,and they went on their back
Right.
And they went on their way andyou know what they're doing.
Oh, you don't want to be a partof this thing about the way man
, that's terrible.
(20:25):
No, they were preaching aboutthe way they're embracing it.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Oh, they're saying you see what's happening?
I mean, I'm thinking about justthat person on the road, just
like you're saying, the road,just like you're saying.
And here they are with theirfamily.
They don't have anything,hardly, except just the things
that they grab, becausescattered to me means a really
quick exit, exactly right.
So here they are, they'vereally quickly exited, and when
(20:50):
people come up to them and theystart talking to them, they say
what's happened?
How come this is going on?
Because I got to tell you aboutthis guy that's changed my life
.
Right, he's changed their life.
Yeah, uh, I thought you're onthe run, I thought you're trying
to get away.
I thought you're being harassed.
I am, but here's the deal.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
I got to tell you about this guy, what is
happening to these people andthe reason it looks like they
were scattered is it was a greatpersecution yes, it wasn't a
persecution.
Yes, the word great's heavy theword great magnifies it, that's
right Qualifies the depth of itand the seriousness of it.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
I mean to me when it says Saul still breathing,
threats and murder against thedisciples, I mean there had to
be—I've never had somebody tryto murder me.
I don't even know what thatwould feel like, but I've had
people be mad at me or I'veheard from them when I was
younger hey, man, we're going tohave a fight, we're going to
(21:44):
fight after school.
You know like even in thosemoments there is that a little
bit of anxiety like man, hemight beat me up and he did yeah
, but when they told me thatthere was only one there and
I'll let you guess- who it was.
But you know, like thoseemotions in the world cause a
very different reaction.
But these guys, they were okayto be bound and led to Jerusalem
(22:08):
.
They were okay to do thatbecause what they knew, and I
think that this may be anapplication for us to just
really press down on, and Ithink that the church has to
recognize something and maybecome back to this idea they were
preaching the way man, and thatthat attitude and that
(22:29):
mentality and that just fervorand desire for that way was
worth dying for.
Are we there?
I mean what you know, it's likeI may tell somebody about Jesus
, I may talk about how good heis, but it's like and this is
talking about the church, thebody of Christ, to be a part of
(22:49):
Well, and as you're talking, Ithink about just the disconnects
between the early church and us.
Yes, we've got it easy.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
And I think, in a lot of ways, it's easy for this to
be almost unrelatable.
I mean, yes, we follow the sameway and we want to do the same
things, but we have no threats,we have no fears.
I mean anything that weexperience is going to be very
minor compared to what theyexperience.
So how do we kind of meld thefaith of them and of us in the
(23:18):
way and continue on with thatsame fervor and intensity, even
when we don't have the samechallenges that they did?
Speaker 3 (23:27):
I would say for me, remembering the message.
I think the power is in themessage when I think about my
life and I think about thethings that I've been redeemed
from and reconciled to and how I, as a sinful person who doesn't
deserve anything, especially ina great God in the grand scheme
(23:50):
of it, who not only loves mebut wants me to be a part of his
family and allows me to be it.
You know this idea Wayne hadtalked about it really at the
beginning of the year this ideaof love, you know, and being
revived in our love, and thisidea of God loved us so much
(24:11):
that he allowed us to be hischildren.
I think that that's a drivingmotivation that you know.
I've talked to people and I'vesaid you're worth it and they're
like I'm not worth it.
People and I've said you'reworth it and they're like I'm
not worth it.
I'm like, no, you're worth it.
And then, once they can realizeand recognize their worth, now,
all of the sudden, it's like alight bulb goes off in their
mind.
This is what was happening topeople in this time who probably
(24:34):
were slaves, people who didn'thave hardly anything, and all of
a sudden they see this greatvalue in their life.
Man, if you give somebody hope,it's a game changer.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
They had the message.
But the source of that message,you see, all the way through
the book of Acts, is about theman.
That's right, because youremember in John 14, the way,
the truth, and then you havethat life.
And once they saw that truth,and then you have that life.
Yeah, and once they saw that.
So when I think about thatconviction they had, um, it was
because of the man himself.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
And he said you remember, back in acts 2, you
know, yeah, yeah, and so I think, trying to tie this all
together, um, if we look in acts, chapter 8, at verse 5, it says
phil Philip went down to thecity of Samaria and proclaimed
with them Christ.
And so we've got Jerusalem,we've got Judea, now we've got
Samaria into the midst.
(25:26):
And then you look at verse 12,at the result of his preaching,
preaching, and it says but whenthey believed Philip as he
preached good news about thekingdom of God in the name of
Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
And so one of the distinctionsthat I want to make sure to pull
out is the fact that, wheneveryou read scripture, there are no
(25:49):
examples of unbaptizedbelievers.
If someone believes in Christ,then they meet him in the water.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
And.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
I think that's an important part of this way and
really that message that we keepgoing back to in Acts 1-8 of
you're going to go and here'swhat you're going to do, and
here's what you're going toteach them, and here's how the
way is going to function.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
And if you're going to follow him, that's what you
do.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
You stay on the path and you know.
It's amazing because in Acts 2and then here in Acts 8, those
that listened and heard andbelieved, they did the same
thing.
Acts 2, 38, they repented andbe baptized.
And Acts 8, 12, they believedChrist and about the church, the
kingdom, and they were baptized.
And guys, this is a I meanreally, this is a gigantic step.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Okay, yeah, when you think about the Samaritans,
because I mean you know, a lotof us realize the relationship
that was not present with them.
I mean they had a hatred foreach other, right.
So when we understand going toSamaria and taking the message
of Jesus about the way, aboutthe man, and this is huge.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Yeah, I think for me, you know, when I think about
Acts 2, verse 47,.
It says praising God and havingfavor with all the people in
the Lord added to the churchdaily, those who were being
saved.
So, just like you just read,you ain't going to add yourself
to any church.
But guess what?
The Lord will add you to hischurch, which is his body, which
(27:23):
is the way when you follow him.
He will add you to his family.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
And that's an incredible thing.
You follow the man and followhis message.
It leads you right there.
He said I came to give you lifeand I came to.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
It leads you right there.
Yeah, he said, I came to giveyou life and I came to give it
to you more abundantly.
I mean, how many times couldthese people teach this type of
message?
And it just is like incredible,you know, like I got to go this
way.
Show me how to go this way.
You know, that's right.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
All right guys, so we've covered a lot of ground
and I feel like had really gooddiscussion on what the way is.
And we've got a couple morelessons planned on this topic,
but for today, let's think aboutmaking it real, matt.
What's our takeaway from you?
Speaker 3 (28:11):
I just think that you know I'm kind of weighing on
this idea that following the wayis following the man and
recognizing just how much Jesusloves us and cares about us and
he's worth telling people about.
He is worth telling peopleabout him and the love that he
has for us and for, you know,for humanity as a whole humanity
(28:45):
as a whole.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Just um, if we could just have that ambitious desire
that saul had against the church.
If we could have that, becauseI can imagine he had to be very
ambitious about this trip he wasmaking he had the letter, he
had the approval of the higherauthority to bind them up, bring
them back, okay, and it musthave been pretty ambitious
because I mean, he couldn't jumpin his automobile like we do
(29:07):
today 140-mile trip there about.
I mean, you're talking about aweek's journey.
And just to do what?
Because I'm ambitious to snuffout the message in the way.
But guess what?
He couldn't Got him.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
He got him, the man got him With the message.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Very literally.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
And then I would say, for mine it's just the reminder
that we get to be part of theGreat Commission.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
You think?
Speaker 1 (29:36):
about how the Gospel of Matthew ends and Jesus says
go into all the worlds andbaptize and do the things We've
talked about.
The whole episode and the earlychurch handled Jerusalem, they
handled Judea, they handledSamaria and really, to a large
extent, they handled the knownworld at the time.
If you look at the apostles, Ithink they stretched from
(29:57):
England to India by the time oftheir death and a lot of places
in between.
But we get to continue sharingit to the ends of the earth and
whether that's with the peoplewe live, with the people we work
with or ways we can go,digitally or physically, around
the world.
We can share the gospel easierthan we ever have before.
Let's not forget that command.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
It's a great blessing yeah the way.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
It is.
All right Well thank you allfor listening.
We hope it's beneficial to you.
May you walk in the light.
Take care, thank you you.
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